


Life Without Kurama

by AxleBoost



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adopted Sasuke, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, For Want of a Nail, Gen, Gen Work, Namikaze Minato Lives, One-Sided Attraction, Shimura Danzou Being an Asshole, Slow Burn, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Uzumaki Kushina Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26670679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AxleBoost/pseuds/AxleBoost
Summary: One fateful night in early October changed everything for Minato and Kushina, the happy couple about to welcome their beloved son Naruto Uzumaki into the world. The disaster that took place altered his life, and the world of ninja, forever. But what if it didn't?Read on to experience a version of the world of Naruto without that key incident... (AU)
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Mikoto & Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 17
Kudos: 48





	1. A Night Like Any Other

A soft moonlit night served as the backdrop for a typical evening in The Village Hidden in the Leaves. Citizens strolled past bustling shops, where merchants chatted excitedly with their customers in order to make a sale. Others slept undisturbed in their rooms, oblivious to the events happening outside their windows. For the moment, it seemed as if within the walls of The Leaf, happiness and safety abounded.  
  
 _“Summoning Jutsu!”_ _  
__  
_At first, there was nothing but the faint sound of wind blowing in the peaceful night sky. Then heavy darkness descended over the village. A thick cloud of smoke enveloped the area, obscuring from view the threat that approached. Roused from their evening activities by the unknown sound coming from the entrance to the front gate, all of the nearby villagers turned their heads and looked up to the sky.

There was no way this was possible. In the middle of the evening, with not so much as a warning? Several shinobi, still in their ninja gear and headed for the Hokage’s mansion, stared back in disbelief as they observed a large beast emerging from an even larger smoke cloud. Although they did not want to believe what they were seeing, almost everyone but the small children who were present knew the identity of this creature. Time stood still, it seemed, for several long, terror-filled seconds. Even the wind itself seemed too frightened to make a sound. The dramatic moment of silence was pierced by the cry, “IT’S THE NINE TAILS!”

The chaos that followed destroyed any semblance of peace, along with the many houses and shops near the village entrance. A massive fox demon descended upon The Hidden Leaf. Its hollow growl alone was enough to shake the very ground on which the citizens stood.

* * *

Elsewhere, atop the village’s identifying landmark, the Hokage Monument, stood a lone man, his long white coat and golden-blond hair flowing as a light breeze swept past. He looked out across his beloved village, thinking only of his lifelong vow to protect its citizens. Minato Namikaze, The Village Hidden in the Leaves’ Hokage, was charged with the duty of defending the village and commanding all of its shinobi, or ninja. Now, having just witnessed the birth of his son, Naruto, he had no intention of letting harm come to their home. His fierce blue eyes passed over burning buildings with uniform dark green rooftops, scattered remnants of power lines, and smashed trunks of once-vibrant green trees mixed in amongst the rubble, at last settling on the cause of this destruction. He built up chakra in silence. How he chose to act in the next few moments would prove crucial to the outcome of this encounter. The Nine Tails honed in on him as it picked up on his powerful chakra.

“So, you noticed me?” Minato held his ground, confident as he watched the fox open its mouth to reveal a set of sharp, gleaming teeth, and conjure a purple ball of energy.

 _Here it comes_ , he thought to himself, planting his feet as he prepared a seal in the sky in front of him. A series of what resembled inked characters formed a complex pattern in the night sky. The symbols arranged themselves in front of the Hokage Monument, hovering near all four faces of the larger-than-life work of art. Minato held a special kunai in his hands that emitted a soft glow as he activated his jutsu.

“I won’t let you destroy this,” he declared with conviction.

The energy ball in the fox's mouth morphed and darkened, becoming larger and more dangerous every second. Minato stood undaunted, bracing himself as the potent chakra ball was blasted in his direction. Any buildings and living creatures in the vicinity were vaporized by the projectile as it tore a clean path through the village. When it reached Minato's seal, however, the ball stopped in its tracks. The orb writhed and stretched and the seal folded in on itself, forming a vacuum to pull the chakra ball inside. The blast was sucked in and vanished just as fast as it had come.

Concentrating hard on the farthest possible location he could reach with the technique, where he sensed almost no chakra signatures, Minato loosed the attack off into the distance. A deafening sound echoed through the forest, and a deep rumble traveled all the way back to where the Hokage now stood.

 _With power like that, I have to be very careful where I redirect this_.

The explosion continued to resound across the landscape. He’d managed to divert the blast away from the village, but his work was far from done.

Minato went rigid, on high alert. A presence that was masked until now revealed itself. He sensed a person with an unfamiliar chakra signature behind him. The same one he sensed when a man appeared before him and his wife just a short while ago and tried to kill his son. Still not yet recovered from using the teleportation seal, Minato slashed with his custom kunai as he turned on the stranger. He knew he could not go easy on this man. As the Yellow Flash of the Leaf, surely he was far too fast for a sneak attack to succeed, even at point-blank range. So Minato was shocked when his kunai passed straight through the intangible figure, who chuckled. The Hokage drew back, but not fast enough.

The black-hooded, masked foe reached forward and grabbed his kunai-wielding arm. “I am your opponent,” the mysterious man declared as he leaned in closer. “And you’re done for!”

Minato stared into the single hole in the man's mask as a space-distorting vortex projected from it and pulled him closer. A second later, the Fourth Hokage was on the move, and the assailant’s hand grasped at air. The cloaked figure stood on top of the stone monument, all alone.

“He got away. So fast…”

* * *

Knowing there was no time to waste, Minato worked on putting together a plan for how best to deal with this new threat to the Leaf Village. He thought about Kushina, his wife, and Naruto, his newborn son. He thought about his duty as the Hokage and all that would be lost if he failed. He could not let that happen, no matter what. Of course Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, would fight to his last breath to defend the village from the Nine Tails and this mysterious person who attacked Minato. However, their best chance would be if they could fight the threat as one rather than in separate locations.

That’s when it hit him. Whoever the stranger was, everything that had happened so far was planned out by him. He was powerful, and seemed to know a dangerous amount of information about the village, and how to split The Fourth up from Hiruzen and anyone else who might assist him. He also somehow tracked Minato and Kushina when they went to a secluded location to await Naruto’s birth. It was safe to assume that the invader was an ex-Leaf ninja with a grudge. However, there was something else about him that set off alarms in Minato’s head. He could control the Nine Tails, was skilled with time-space ninjutsu, and knew that Kushina's seal would be vulnerable during her pregnancy. These facts were very troubling pieces of the puzzle. He must be an Uchiha, Minato reasoned. Cutting his train of thought short, the enemy appeared before him once more.

The air in front of Minato distorted into a swirling vortex that grew in size, depositing his pursuer onto the grass. "You can't afford to worry about others," the man warned.

 _Damn,_ Minato thought with frustration. _He tracked me that quickly?!_

In the battle that was to come, Minato knew that whether he was right or wrong, his goal was the same. This supposed Uchiha had to fall here. If not, all of The Leaf might meet its end. And the surest way to guarantee that he lost the battle was to sever his link to the rampaging tailed beast.

* * *

"Gamabunta!" Minato called out.

"What in the world have you gotten yourself into, Fourth?" cried a deep, hoarse voice.

"Did you hear me? There's no time!"

"Yeah, yeah. I've got it! Here I go."

Kushina and Minato clung to each other as a large cloud of smoke burst above them, enveloping the two. Minato hoped that he made the right decision as the giant red toad whom he had formed a contract with years ago vanished from sight. As if on cue, Kushina turned to him and nodded her approval. "I'm right here with you, so don't doubt yourself."

 _Thank you, Kushina,_ Minato thought to himself. He was so grateful to have this woman in his life.

The smoke began to dissipate, leaving them to face the gigantic fox beast, which Kushina managed to keep under control with her special ability. Glowing chains extended from her back and tangled around the giant fox in all directions, pulling taut. The fox crashed to the ground, weakened.

"Can you maintain this long enough?" Minato asked.

"Of course,” Kushina panted. “We'll...huff...have to...huff...reinforce the...seal."

Minato grimaced as Kushina leaned against him, her body exhausted from all she had endured today. However, once _he_ arrived, of course, none of that would matter anymore.

"I'm starting the process," Minato warned.

Moments later, the couple was prepared to transfer the Nine Tails back into Kushina where it belonged. Their newborn son Naruto slept nearby, his blond hair flowing in the wind and blissfully unaware of what was transpiring around him.

* * *

Kurama growled. It was insulting the way the humans carried on making decisions that involved him without his input. Other than The Sage, all of them had tried to control him or feared his presence. As he watched the Yellow Flash and the previous Nine Tails host preparing another seal, he saw an opportunity.

_This is my chance!_

He mustered the remainder of his strength and extended a long claw, intending to drive it through Kushina to stop the transfer. Minato reacted slower than usual because he was in the middle of stabilizing the sealing jutsu. The Hokage’s unsteady hand was struggling to lift a special kunai from beneath his robe when another figure appeared on the scene. Kurama gasped, then lurched forward as a smaller creature’s foot landed on his claw and drove it into the ground with the sheer weight of the impact. Dirt and rocks flew in all directions as his claw skidded to a stop mere feet from Kushina and Minato.

* * *

"Wow, you sure have great timing, Sensei,” Minato said. “I was wearing myself thin!"

"Hmph! You may be my student, but that's hardly any way for the Fourth Hokage to talk, don't you think?"

Minato and his wife smiled with mutual relief. She added, "Thank you, Lord Jiraiya. You're a lifesaver!"

Jiraiya sneered back at them, his face riddled with dark markings and a boil-covered, swollen nose. His eyes were far from human; his pupils had become horizontal slits, and dark red markings graced the sides of his face. He maintained a wide stance, supported by thick-soled sandals. "You should know I skipped out on valuable research to come here!"

Minato looked up, observing his old mentor. "So, you decided to use your Sage Mode for this one?"

"The situation sounded dire. But never mind that. Let's talk after we finish restoring the seal.” Jiraiya turned his attention to Minato’s wife. “Ready, Kushina? You look like you're in bad shape."

Kushina struggled to her feet, her signature fiery red hair falling across her shoulders. "I don't need you worrying over me. I have to be strong as the Fourth Hokage's right hand woman, ya know." She smiled at the two men, doing little to reassure Jiraiya and Minato.

Before anyone could speak another word, the presence Minato sensed earlier caught his attention again. "Jiraiya-sensei!"

"I know."

Jiraiya turned to face the stranger, who landed with a soft tap on top of the Nine Tails's head. The fox snarled, making it obvious he felt demeaned by his current treatment.

"I can't let you undo everything I just worked so hard for, Toad Sage," said the masked intruder. A vortex formed once again from within the stranger's mask and distorted the space around him.

"So you're the one responsible for all this,” Jiraiya said. He turned to his student and called out, “Minato!” as he noticed the portal enlarging around the demon fox.

Minato nodded. "Right!" He felt around for some of his custom kunai, but was shocked to find none. "What? Where'd they go?"

"Looking for these?" The cloaked man taunted. He chuckled and waved the missing kunai in front of his face. "You lose."

Minato placed Kushina down on the ground, then teleported behind the enemy, using one of the kunai in his hand as a reference point. However, The Fourth's sneak attack swept through air.

"I'll see you in due time, Hokage,” the masked man warned, the last word dripping with disdain. Then he faded away into one of his spiral portals. He was followed moments later by the Nine Tails, as it too disappeared with a gigantic poof. Minato and Jiraiya, who had been standing where there was now only air, landed on the grass across from one another.

All three Leaf Ninja exhaled in unison. Although the masked man was gone, the unthinkable had occurred. He now possessed the Nine-Tailed Fox, and with it, the power to destroy a nation in an instant.

“W-where’d he go?” Kushina gasped, clutching her stomach. Her trembling hand settled at the center of the dark, blotchy red stain on her blouse. Caked blood decorated the tips of her fingers.

Minato rushed to his wife’s side. “Kushina, don’t move! You’ll hurt yourself more.”

Jiraiya looked up into the night sky, his toadlike features softening and giving way to a less striking, human visage. “He must have called the Nine Tails to a remote location with summoning,” the sage surmised, turning to lock eyes with Kushina.

She knelt, mouth agape while the gravity of recent events sank in. “Then that means…”

“It means we can’t place its chakra back inside you,” Minato finished for her, staring at the ground in deep thought. “Unless…” He drew in a breath and rose to a standing position, turning away from his wife.

“Minato?” Kushina said, a hint of confusion in her voice.

“I’m going,” the Hokage stated, stepping forward. “Sensei, please watch Kushina until I get back.”

Jiraiya’s eyes widened at the sudden realization of the meaning behind his student’s words, and he dashed toward him, arms out.

“Minato, no!”

As the toad sage closed in, fingers within reach of Minato, his student vanished where he stood. Just like that, The Fourth was gone - transported to wherever their assailant had fled.

Jiraiya grasped feebly at air, then slumped his shoulders, realizing he was too late. Only time would tell what became of his student now. He shared a concerned glance with Kushina, and knelt next to her to support her weakened body. In the distance, allies approached. Jiraiya sensed a familiar chakra: it was the Third Hokage, accompanied by about a dozen Leaf Ninja.

* * *

Jiraiya stood behind the glass wall separating him from the operating room, where some of the best medical ninja The Village Hidden in the Leaves had to offer were working harder than ever to stabilize Kushina. Try as they might, they were unsuccessful thus far. The monitors continued to produce alarming vital sign readings. Kushina was hanging on by a thread, but had yet to wake up or make a sound.

“So you’re here, Jiraiya-sensei?”

The familiar voice snapped Jiraiya out of his haze. A tattooed arm stepping into the field of his peripheral vision all but confirmed the speaker’s identity. He took a quick sideways glance at the overalls and white mask associated with the standard Anbu Black Ops uniform, then resumed watching over Minato’s wife.

“I am,” Jiraiya said, expressionless. “Hello, Kakashi.”

The white-haired youth posed with equal stoicism beside Jiraiya, gazing at Kushina behind the glass partition with both hands in his pockets.

“I heard Lady Kushina was in critical condition,” Kakashi said. “Where is Minato-sensei at a time like this?”

Jiraiya swallowed hard. He was unsure how best to approach the topic. Coming up short on well-worded responses, he gave up and settled for the plain truth.

“He hurried off to face the enemy not long after I arrived. That’s the last anyone in The Leaf saw of him.”

“...I see. What brought you here? I rarely see you in the village.”

“Minato called me,” Jiraiya said. He looked at the floor, crinkling his chin. “It didn’t feel right to leave again just yet, with Kushina in this condition.”

Kakashi nodded in the corner of Jiraiya’s vision. Then he sighed and went quiet. Jiraiya did the same.

An unnatural, warbling swoosh noise echoed through the hallway, followed by a strong breeze that blew nearby nurses, gurneys, and intravenous infusion devices in Jiraiya and Kakashi’s direction. Kakashi dodged an IV machine that came flying toward him. Beside him, Jiraiya activated his Needle Jizo jutsu just in time, extending his hair to shield a doctor from an oncoming chair.

Having avoided any immediate danger, the two white-haired ninja turned to find the source of this disruption. Minato lay almost flat against the floor at the end of the hall, holding himself up on one elbow as he fought to regain his breath.

“Minato!” Jiraiya exclaimed, rushing to his student’s side with Kakashi in tow.

Nurses and doctors scattered to make way, mumbling amongst themselves. Faint cries of “Lord Fourth!” reached Jiraiya’s ears, but he tuned out all distractions as he knelt by the blond-haired Hokage’s side.

“Minato, it’s me. And Kakashi.”

“Sensei, are you okay?” Kakashi asked as he slipped an arm under Minato to lift him up.

“I...I did it, Jiraiya-sensei, Kakashi.” Minato looked up with a triumphant smile, beads of sweat collecting on his forehead. He opened a palm to reveal a handful of his special kunai. “And I got these back.”

Kakashi looked down at Minato’s torn and dirt-speckled Hokage coat. The village leader took a deep breath, his eyes drifting toward Kushina, who was still struggling to survive on the other side of the glass pane. He stowed away the kunai he had retrieved from the masked enemy, then squared his shoulders and stood tall. He left Kakashi’s supportive embrace to walk on his own, his urgent steps echoing down the hall.

“Sensei, wait. Aren’t you hurt?” Kakashi called from afar.

“Minato, hang on,” Jiraiya said gruffly, touching his student on the shoulder to make him stop. Kakashi leaned against the wall nearby. “What’s going on?”

“I memorized a sealing jutsu formula from one of our library’s ancient scrolls. It’s pretty basic, but strong enough for what I need to do.”

“Why were you looking for a sealing jutsu?” Jiraiya slapped a hand against his forehead. “You went after that man again, didn’t you?”

Minato nodded. “Flying Thunder God landed me in some kind of cave with him, and the Nine Tails. He seemed to have prepared for me to make that exact move. My custom kunai were scattered around the cave, in places that made jumping to them dangerous. The Nine Tails was behind a barrier. I tried to fight the masked man, but he used intangibility just like before, and tried to pull me into another portal.”

“Like the one he used earlier, from inside his mask?”

“Right. In the end, I succeeded in getting close to the Nine Tails with my Flying Thunder God, but I couldn’t take _him_ down without devoting my full attention. So instead I used this.”

Upon finishing his recollection of events, Minato exposed his stomach to reveal a marking at its center: a seal. He had contained the Nine Tails’ chakra by trapping it in his own body.

“T-that’s insane!” Jiraiya remarked, stopping short when Minato held up a finger.

“I’ll be fine. It wasn’t enough chakra to form a separate entity of the Nine Tails.”

Minato covered himself again and kept walking, his master and student’s footsteps close behind. They reached the end of the hall and stopped in front of the door to the operating room. Minato reached for the door, pausing when Kakashi spoke up.

“So you can save her?”

The three men regarded Kushina’s near-lifeless figure beyond the glass pane. Her skin was pasty, and her beet-red hair was matted into messy clumps.

“Yes, I think so. It may not be much, but it should replenish enough of the chakra she lost to give her a fighting chance.” The Fourth Hokage entered the room and hurried to his dying wife’s side. The doctors nearby stepped back, not having expected his appearance, let alone the interruption.

“I’m here, Kushina,” Minato whispered, closing both hands around his wife’s limp one. She gave no visible reaction. He looked up to see Kakashi and Jiraiya, who had returned to watching from behind the glass wall. “Let’s hope this works.”

Taking a deep breath, he placed a hand on Kushina’s belly. Minato concentrated his chakra, made the appropriate hand signs and undid the seal on his stomach.


	2. Trembling Hands

Monitors beeped in an incessant, rhythmic pattern, assuaging Jiraiya of his fears about the experimental process. Had Minato’s plan worked, and was Kushina going to be alright? A quick glance at Kakashi revealed the toad sage wasn’t alone in his worrying; a bead of sweat trickled down the side of the young man’s face, disappearing behind the fabric of his absorbent mask. Kushina lay silent, appearing motionless apart from her chest’s subtle rise and fall. Her protruding belly was caked with faded blotches of dried blood, still visible beneath the covers that kept her warm. Minato emerged from a side door. The edges of his Hokage cloak’s sleeves were damp with water from washing off his unconscious wife’s blood.

“How is she?” he asked Jiraiya, giving Kushina’s near-lifeless body a furtive glance. “I just hope I made it in time. I’ve already failed enough tonight.”

Kakashi sighed. “Sensei, you’ve done the best you can.”

“Kakashi’s right,” Jiraiya said with a nod. “You can’t beat yourself up over this. No one knows what will happen in a situation like this, and none of us could’ve seen the attack coming.”

While Minato must have known that they were right, a quick look at his crestfallen expression made it clear none of the rationalizations his student and teacher gave were getting through. It was understandable, but Jiraiya hated knowing his prodigy of a student was going through so much pain. No matter what logical arguments they presented him with, at the end of the day, keeping the village - and his wife - safe were his utmost responsibility, and he had failed to execute either.

“I need to go see to Naruto,” Minato muttered. “He may have woken up, and at the very least, _one_ of his parents should be there to keep him company.” His words were laced with an undertone of guilt.

Grunting in silent acceptance that he couldn’t do or say anything of significance, Jiraiya nodded. “Go on, Minato. We’ll stay with her.”

Hands still in his pockets, Kakashi turned to his master. The boy’s casual attitude even in the midst of tense situations never ceased to amaze Jiraiya. There was no doubt that this ability would serve him well as a ninja. “If anything happens, we’ll let you know, sensei.”

“Thank you, both of you.”

Minato gave a curt bow and vanished, no doubt having already marked his son for easy teleportation. Jiraiya blew out a breath, just as impressed as ever by Minato’s expert use of the Second Hokage’s Flying Thunder God Jutsu. The Fourth was talented beyond his years. Member of The Legendary Sannin or not, Jiraiya hardly felt qualified to be his sensei. The Toad Sage smiled to himself in spite of the current predicament.

 _No. Thank_ you, _Minato._

Less than a minute later, the rhythmic beeping increased in frequency, and another electronic noise, this one more unpleasant, sounded from one of the monitors. Doctors rushed in, examining Kushina and reading off information from scanners. One of them removed her IV and inserted another, while the remaining few did their best to stabilize her, spouting frantic comments across the room to one another. The noticeable trembling in each of the medical professionals’ movements didn’t inspire much confidence. They must have known that if the Hokage’s wife died on their watch, it was career suicide.

After a few minutes of chaos, the beeping slowed enough that the lead doctor felt comfortable dismissing a few of the medical team members so they could see to other patients. He removed his mask, yanked off both elastic gloves, and pushed open the door to the main hallway, stopping to take some steadying breaths. He whipped out a small notepad and jotted some notes, looking up to find Jiraiya staring back at him from two feet away, with Kakashi at his side. The few seconds it took for the doctor’s brain to process that one of The Sannin was in front of him were filled with silence.

“What is happening in there?” Jiraiya demanded to know as he and the doctor locked eyes. “Tell me everything.”

Fighting past his initial shock, the doctor sputtered, “Ah, Lord Jiraiya! Oh, of course. You see, Miss Uzumaki’s condition is...unpredictable. She is alive through sheer will and her bloodline’s natural large chakra pool and resilience. The Jinchuuriki extraction, combined with using her sealing jutsu for a prolonged period, has taxed her greatly.” The doctor looked through the glass at her, his eyes full of uncertainty. “She is a fighter for sure. Anyone else, ninja or not, would have died hours ago.”

“So, what can you do?” Kakashi asked. “Does she have a chance of making it?”

The doctor flinched. He seemed to understand with full clarity how important his next words were, and feared the response he would receive if they weren’t to Jiraiya’s liking. He inhaled once, preparing himself to speak again. “In all honesty...we don’t know. The Nine Tails chakra Lord Fourth was able to retrieve is helping her to a degree, but….” The doctor gulped, his forehead glistening with sweat.

“But what?” Jiraiya pressed.

“But there is a high likelihood she will still die, as her injuries are too great compared to the amount of chakra that was returned to her. I’ve called for some of our medical ninja, but I’m not sure they could bring her back from something this severe. I expect she has less than a few hours, factoring in her levels of endurance and the slow healing rate of her injuries.”

“A few hours?!” Kakashi echoed, stunned.

The doctor raised his hands in a defensive gesture. Seeing this hurt Jiraiya, as he would never harm a fellow Leaf ninja. He must have looked furious, and to be fair, there was no time to play around here, but he didn’t want to frighten anyone, so he did his best to soften his serious expression. 

“Thank you for your honesty,” Jiraiya said. He and Kakashi returned to the window to look in on Kushina. They stared in silence, letting the prognosis sink in.

“What should we do, Jiraiya-sensei?”

The Toad Sage folded his lips and paced. He paused mid-stride and turned back to Kakashi. “I think I may know a way to save her.”

Kakashi turned toward him, one eye regarding him with skepticism. “Really?”

“It’s a gamble, but something tells me there’s a good chance it’ll work.” Jiraiya formed hand signs and prepared to summon one of his contract-bound toads. “Kakashi, tell the medical team to do everything they can to keep her alive, _for as long_ as they can. I’ll be back.”

* * *

The cavern where Obito had chosen to contain and subdue the Nine-Tailed Fox was wet and cold, but it didn’t matter - comfort levels aside, he had done it. Obito’s plan to steal the tailed beast from his former sensei’s spouse went off without a hitch. Even the arrival of the fabled Legendary Sannin member Jiraiya hadn’t managed to stop him. That pesky Yellow Flash had given him a temporary scare, teleporting here and engaging him so soon. That much was for sure, but it was all of no consequence. The small portion of chakra he managed to seal inside of himself before escaping would be easy enough for the fox to recover with some time.

Obito stared up at the towering cave in silence, watching the agitated scowl of the fox as it glared at him from behind a thick barrier of chakra. He smirked behind his mask, amused by the creature’s blind hatred for him.

“Is something the matter? Eh, Nine-Tails?” he teased.

“Damn you,” cried the fox, its deep voice shaking stalactites free from the ceiling. The fox’s captor didn’t bother dodging, letting the rocks pass through him. “Damn you and that cursed Sharingan!”

“Temper, temper, fox,” Obito chided. “Get used to your current state of subjugation. Even if I can no longer tame you with my Sharingan, I still have plenty of use for you. You’ll see. Despite the Hokage’s efforts, you’ve still plenty enough chakra for integration into the Gedo Mazo.”

The fox only glowered at him. He responded by casting a paralysis jutsu. Obito’s captive growled, twitching as the effects took hold, and then collapsed, unable to resist.

“There we go,” Obito said. “I’ll be keeping you as my prisoner for a while longer. Get comfortable.”

* * *

Finding Tsunade Senju had proven to be a hell of an undertaking, but Jiraiya had done it at last. He set one heavy, sandaled foot down on the tiled floor, then the other as he, Tsunade, her assistant Shizune, and Tonton the pig were deposited in the hospital wing next to Kakashi. The latter gasped in surprise.

“Jiraiya-sensei? You made it.”

Jiraiya rested a hand on the wall, panting, before smiling up at Fukasaku, nicknamed ‘Pa’ in honor of his position as the senior patriarchal figure of Mount Myoboku. Jiraiya noted that the hallway was empty apart from Kakashi and a couple of nurses.

“Thanks for bringing us here so fast, Pa,” Jiraiya said. “There’s no time to waste. Sorry again for having to summon you for this.”

“Ah,” the aging toad said, waving him off, “Ma and I understand, Jiraiya-boy. Now go. Save Kushina-girl.”

Jiraiya nodded. “Right.” Pa vanished in a puff of smoke before he could say anything more. Jiraiya smiled, grateful that the toads came through for him at a time like this. He turned to his long-lost teammate. “Tsunade, are you ready?”

The beautiful blonde at his side didn’t respond. She stood rooted in place a few paces away, not having moved from the moment she was reverse-summoned here. He almost thought she’d changed her mind, until she turned to stare through the glass partition at the person whose life she was charged to save. Tsunade’s almond-brown eyes filled with sorrow and her forehead pinched when she saw the pathetic state of Kushina, the stubborn Uzumaki who clung to life despite what must have been agonizing pain.

Unseen to Tsunade, Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief. The hospital staff had complied with the instructions he left with Kakashi and done what they could to keep Kushina covered up and spotless. It seemed silly, asking a hospital of all places to hemophobia-proof a section of its Intensive Care Unit. Even so, it was worth the trouble. All it would take for Jiraiya’s last resort to fail him was the sight of a single drop of blood.

“I never thought I’d be back here in the village so soon,” Tsunade whispered to herself, “and certainly not because of something like this. What did that bastard do to you, Kushina?”

The fellow Sannin took a long, steadying breath. Jiraiya knew what was on her mind, and why she delayed going into the room. Time was of the essence, though. She needed to make a decision, and fast.

“Tsunade,” Jiraiya said, his voice heavy with emotion, “I understand if you’ve changed your mind. You know, you don’t _have_ to do this. None of us would blame you.” He reached out to touch his best friend on the shoulder. “Or if it would help, I could have Minato call a Yamanaka in to suppress your memori-”

“No,” she shot back, shrugging him off, “I _do_ have to do this. I _want_ to.”

Tsunade cast aside her signature green jacket, exposing broad, toned shoulders. She stalked down the hall toward the door to the operating room. Jiraiya watched her go with apprehension, remembering ‘those two’ and the pain their loss caused her. Shizune stood by with Tonton cradled in her arms, swaddled within Tsunade’s discarded garment. The blonde kunoichi cast a firm glance back at Jiraiya and Kakashi, the fear in her demeanor long gone.

“Like I said, you can leave this to me. I’ll do whatever I can, even if I have to bet my life.”

She strode toward the table where Kushina appeared to be in nothing more than a deep slumber. Seeing the woman whose legendary medical skills far outstripped all of theirs combined was enough to send the crew in the operating room scattering in multiple directions. Tsunade used a heel to nudge aside a rolling tray with an array of tools (all spotless, as requested). It hit the far wall with an unceremonious crash. Having made herself room to work, she stepped forward to examine her patient. Tsunade raised both hands, palms joined, and closed her eyes. A familiar distortion of the air around her outstretched palms told Jiraiya that Tsunade was gathering chakra to try and heal Kushina. If there was anyone on the planet capable of such a feat, it was this woman.

Tsunade broke form, the slightest trace of a tremble in her wrists. He sighed as she shook it off and continued with renewed focus. She must have feared that any second now, she would see blood and just like that, lose all will to continue. He feared the same.

“Do you really think she can do it?” Kakashi asked, snapping Jiraiya out of his thoughts.

“I’ll say this much. Without a doubt, she has the best chance of any medical ninja.” Jiraiya looked at the floor.

 _Even so,_ he said to himself, _there’s a possibility for failure._

“Of _course_ she can!” Shizune cut in. She adjusted her posture to better support the slippery pig resting against her bosom. It squealed out an oink of implied agreement. “Don’t doubt Lady Tsunade’s abilities.”

“Ah,” Jiraiya said, “that reminds me. Kakashi, you’ve never witnessed Lady Tsunade in action before, have you?”

“No sir. I’ve only heard stories.”

“Well, they’re all true. You’re about to see for yourself how a master medical ninja works.” These words were as much to convince himself as they were for Minato’s student’s sake. Deep down, Jiraiya hoped they wouldn’t amount to hollow promises.

* * *

An unsettling quiet seized the room as Jiraiya, Kakashi, Shizune, Tonton, and Minato looked in on the scene unfolding in the operating room. Tsunade hunched over Kushina’s still body. She grunted as she concentrated her chakra on the new mother’s center mass. Beads of sweat rolled down her arms and face, but she refused to let up.

“Don’t die, don’t die, don’t die…” Tsunade mouthed, her bottom lip curling inward.

Those words cut deep. Jiraiya clenched his fists, knowing Tsunade was channeling the hurt she still hadn’t moved past. She wasn’t only seeing Kushina. She was seeing her late brother, Nawaki Senju. She was seeing her lost lover, Dan Kato. It killed Jiraiya that _he_ was the one who brought her here. Made her relive her anguish. He was a terrible friend, and an even worse sensei.

Tsunade grunted, forcing out more chakra. The muscles in her arms constricted as she tried to pull Kushina back from the brink of death. The pain of Jiraiya’s regrets ate away at him more and more with every dulled sound from the other side of the glass. He reflected on all of the ways he’d failed not only Tsunade, but others he held dear. Maybe with time, Minato and Kushina could forgive him for not being present enough in their lives. Perhaps if he were, this wouldn’t have happened.

“Sensei,” Minato said, drawing his attention, “this will work. I believe in Lady Tsunade’s abilities. Besides, Kushina’s too strong to let something like this stop her.”

The Fourth squeezed Jiraiya’s wrist in a subtle show of affection. There was no question that Minato knew “something like this” - having one’s tailed beast removed by force - was more serious than he made it sound. The extraction spelled death for a Jinchuuriki, without exception. Of course, the Uzumaki were known for their resilient spirits, but even they weren’t gods. Kushina couldn’t survive exhausting her chakra reserves on top of having the Nine Tails removed. Jiraiya suspected hoping for a miracle must have helped his student to cope, rather than staying grounded in reality and succumbing to fear. He didn’t blame Minato.

“Yeah,” Jiraiya said, letting out a bittersweet chuckle, “she sure is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Out of personal curiosity, please let me know what time of day you read this chapter (and which timezone). It will help me more strategically schedule my posts!


	3. This Game We Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ:  
> FYI, I will post once a month on no specific day. If it has been a while since my last upload, don't assume I've abandoned this work! Odds are it will update soon. I am dedicated to this project.

On a breezy, sunlit day in The Hidden Leaf Village, Minato Namikaze strode along the quiet street that led to the Hyuuga Clan Manor. He smiled down at his much shorter, more excitable companion. The blond boy hummed a happy tune and swung his short arms with each stride. His pastel-orange kimono’s sleeves flapped along with the breeze. Minato chuckled at his son’s carefree attitude. Naruto looked up at him and grinned, then adopted a more serious expression and stiff gait, imitating his father’s movements.

“Now, now, son,” Minato said, “Make sure you behave yourself today. Otherwise I’ll send you back home to your mother, got it? Daddy’s very busy and needs to focus.”

“Right, right,” the child’s small voice agreed. Naruto poked out his lower lip, shouting back, “Hokage business!”

“Yeah.” Minato smiled. “Hokage business. We’re guests in the Hyuugas’ home, so don’t misbehave.”

“But dad,” Naruto said, staring up at him as they walked, “don’t you own the whole village? Why do we have to do what they say if you make all the rules?”

Minato quelled Naruto’s argument with a firm shake of his head. “Don’t say things like that, Naruto. It’s not about who owns what. When you are a guest in someone else’s house, you treat them with respect.”

Naruto pondered the statement for a few seconds, then nodded. “Respect.”

The distant figure of Hiashi Hyuuga approaching from further down the path stole away Minato’s attention. The man’s long, flowing white robes made him impossible to miss. A handful of other clan members walked woodenly on either side of him, dressed in similar fashion. His guards, no doubt.

The two leaders met in the middle of the street, their encounter silent at first. Someone on Hiashi’s side of the standstill cleared his throat, but no one else moved an inch for the first ten seconds or so. Save for Naruto, who was looking at the faces of each person present, his eyes enlarged with naive curiosity.

“Welcome, Lord Hokage,” Lord Hiashi said, joining his hands and giving Minato a formal bow. Everyone behind him mirrored the gesture, but with their hands down at their sides. “The Hyuuga Clan welcomes you.”

“Please, Hiashi,” Minato said, laughing, “I told you there’s no need for these pleasantries. A handshake will suffice, and you can just call me Minato, or Fourth.”

“Nonsense,” Hiashi rebuffed. “The way of the Hyuuga has always been to treat every Hokage-”

“With the utmost respect,” Minato finished for him. “I remember. But honestly, don’t treat me as if I’m so much better than someone who was my peer not too long ago.” Not wanting things to get awkward, he moved on. “Oh, one more thing before we start! I’d like you to officially meet my son, Naruto.”

Naruto looked back with uncertainty, checking for his father’s approval. Minato squatted low to the ground and placed a gentle hand on his young son’s back.

“Go on,” Minato whispered. “You can do this. Just like we practiced.”

Reassured, Naruto stepped forward and looked up at the stern-faced man, examining Lord Hiashi’s long dark hair and pale eyes. Resisting the urge to scrunch his face up in confusion, Naruto lifted his tiny hand to meet Hiashi’s larger one. The man knelt so that he was almost eye level with Naruto and accepted the handshake with a nod.

“It is my pleasure to meet you, son of the Fourth Hokage.” Hiashi cleared his throat and stood up, pausing when he felt a tug at his robes.

Lurking just behind Hiashi’s leg was a small human, similar in size and stature to Naruto. Interested, Naruto leaned to the side, trying to get a peek around at whoever was there. He couldn’t help but crack a smile at the sight of someone his age to play with!

“Enough of that,” Hiashi stated gruffly, his brow furrowed. Catching himself, he turned back toward Minato to do damage control. “My apologies, Lord Hokage. Please forgive my daughter. She insisted on coming out here to greet you, but as you may recall, she is rather shy.”

“No,” Minato said, raising a hand. “That’s okay. I’d like our children to get acquainted.” He waved at the short-haired girl hiding behind Hiashi’s leg, laughing when she stuck her body halfway out from behind cover. “Hello there. Remember me, Hinata?” She gave a meek nod, returning to the folds of Hiashi’s clothes. “Would you like to be friends with my son?”

Naruto looked back again, and Minato flicked his chin toward the girl. The boy stepped forward and waited for Hinata to peek at him again. When she did, he smiled and extended a hand.

“Hi there, I’m Naruto Uzumaki!”

She tip-toed back into view, walked toward Naruto, and reached out with a limp hand, completing the handshake after a long delay. “Hinata Hyuuga.”

“Alright then,” Hiashi said, looking to Minato. “Shall we head inside?”

“Sure.” Minato glanced down at Naruto and Hinata and gasped.

“Let’s go,” Hiashi said to Hinata without looking back. “You have forms to practice.”

“Actually,” Minato said, rubbing the back of his head, “Hiashi, I just had an idea. Why don’t we let the kids spend some time together while we’re meeting?”

“What?”

Hiashi paused, taken aback. He stared hard at Minato, as if the concept of what his guest proposed was foreign to him. Minato watched him go from astonishment, to aversion, and back to his typical stone-faced demeanor all in the span of a few seconds.

“If it is the Hokage’s wish,” Hiashi said with a bow, “then we would be happy to oblige.” He turned toward Hinata, much less respectful than when he addressed Minato. “Be nice to our guest,” he spat as if it were an order, not a simple reminder. She hung her head and whispered her agreement. With that, her father and his guards were gone. Minato walked beside Hiashi, and the kids followed at their fathers’ heels.

* * *

Minato was wearing down.

Two meetings this morning, back-to-back, one with Shikaku Nara, the other with Hiashi Hyuuga, and now this. He hadn’t brought Naruto today because he saw the writing on the wall: today’s topic was going to be a heavy one.

Minato scanned the meeting room, noting who was present. The entire Leaf Village Elder Council and a couple of assistants were the only attendees. He’d learned very quickly in his short time as The Fourth Hokage that the smaller the meeting size, the more serious the topic. Judging by Danzo’s hard stare that Minato swore was an attempt to bore into him from across the room, they were here to discuss the Uchiha Clan again.

“Let’s begin,” Minato announced. One of the elders, Homura Mitokado, gestured to the assistants, who hurried out of the room and shut the door.

The first few agenda items brought forth by the other council members - the Hidden Cloud’s not-so-subtle tax hikes on imports and exports to and from the Hidden Leaf, a wing of The Leaf’s Ninja Academy in need of repairs, and word of unrest in the Hidden Rain and its potential impact on the Land of Fire, to name a few - were for the most part benign concerns. Thus, these issues were either glossed over or delegated by Minato for others to address. However, the final item seemed of greater importance, because everyone present ceased any side conversations. This erased any doubt in Minato’s mind that they were all on the same page about the true focus of the meeting.

“I believe you have something not on the agenda to share with us, Homura?” Minato said, settling into a more casual position to show the floor was open.

“Yes,” Homura agreed. “Something’s been brought to my attention that I would like us to address.”

Homura’s gaze flitted to Danzo, whose subtle nod didn’t go unnoticed. Minato made a mental note of this while formulating a strategy. He’d been right all along! Danzo _was_ trying to manipulate the rest of the council to side against him.

“Please, go ahead,” Minato offered, gesturing to Homura.

Homura cleared his throat. Danzo, Hiruzen, and a couple of others in the corner of Minato’s vision stiffened in anticipation of the topic. “Regarding the Uchiha Clan, information has been received that there are plans to stage a coup d'état.” He let the statement hang. Murmurs rippled across the room. “Clearly, the breakdown of relations with the Uchiha has escalated. We need to act quickly, Lord Hokage.”

In her usual condescending fashion, Koharu Utatane jumped in, building on the tension Homura stoked. “Fugaku has grown increasingly bolder in his talks on disapproval of the village’s leadership.” She craned her neck to look around the table at Minato. “Fourth, how will you respond?”

Minato stood tall, brushing off the elders’ attempt to undermine him. “We’ve discussed the Uchiha once before, and I hold the same stance that I did last time. I’m young, and I’m still learning how to be a great Hokage, but if there’s one thing I do know, as a _ninja_ , it’s that conflict is usually born from poor communication, and that leads to clan infighting, disputes at borders, and of course, wars.” He swept the room, making eye contact with each elder. “We’re just off of the heels of the Third Great Ninja War. If we bite back against the Uchiha, with whom the village has a long history of ups and downs, things could get messy on both sides and we may be thrown back into another era of killing and chaos.”

“But Lord Fourth,” Homura cut in, “don’t you realize that we-”

“I’d like to lead with negotiations first, if possible,” Minato continued undeterred. “I believe that even though we disagree on several things, Fugaku is a rational man. His people have legitimate reasons for feeling how they do about The Leaf - about _me_. So I would much rather speak to him face to face. Show him I understand the hurt he and the rest of the Uchiha feel. I don’t want to become a Hokage who silences others through unnecessary force.”

Minato didn’t have to look to know Danzo was glaring at him, nor was he surprised to hear the man speak up.

“But it _is_ necessary,” Danzo said just a bit louder than was appropriate, smacking a hand onto the table and drawing the attention of the others in the room. “This kind of leniency is what allows our enemies to grow in strength, Minato!”

“Danzo,” Hiruzen interrupted before the situation could get out of hand, “you’re speaking to the Fourth Hokage, are you not? Mind your tone.”

Minato returned Danzo’s mild hostility with a stern gaze. “Thank you, Lord Third. Danzo, I understand you want me to cut this problem off before it gets worse, but action without forethought is dangerous. Your opinion on this issue is no secret to anyone here. Let me be clear. I’ll consider your input. However, The Third is right: the decision on how to proceed is ultimately mine.”

Silence claimed the room. Danzo, who was halfway out of his seat in protest, grudgingly backed down.

“I understand,” he said. He and Homura once again exchanged a glance that they thought Minato didn’t notice.

Homura moved the conversation along. “Word of this coup comes to us by way of Itachi Uchiha. As tensions have risen in the Uchiha Clan, he’s begun to work with us, providing intel.”

“Yes, I’m aware,” Minato said. He steepled his fingers, reflecting on the young man whose mother was an old friend of Kushina’s. According to Kakashi, who once worked alongside Itachi in the ANBU Black Ops, he was cold and calculating on missions, and his skill, with or without use of the Sharingan, was a sight to behold. “Maybe I should speak with Itachi as well. It’s cruel to put him in the middle of a situation like this, but it might work to the advantage of the Leaf if we can find a resolution. He’s Fugaku’s son, after all.”

“Itachi understands the gravity of tensions between his clan and the Leaf,” Hiruzen announced. All eyes refocused onto him. “That is why he has come forward regarding news of the coup.”

“Good,” Minato said with a nod. “Danzo, I assume you’re keeping tabs on Itachi’s status?”

“I am. He is awaiting further instruction. Are you planning to meet with him today?”

Minato rested his chin against his hand, thinking the matter over. “No. If it’s not too much trouble, set up a meeting between us tomorrow morning.”

Danzo grunted his understanding. “I’ll see that it’s done.”

Now that the most controversial matter was out of the way, Minato moved on to another concern that still weighed on his mind, even several years after the fact. He would never feel at ease so long as this threat lingered.

“I would like to add one last thing before we adjourn.” All heads turned his way. “It’s about the attack from seven years ago. You’re all aware that I believe the attacker to be Madara Uchiha. Lord Jiraiya has been on the move, trying to gather intel. I received a note not too long ago by messenger hawk. He’s narrowed down the number of possible hideouts where the masked man could be located, but there’s still more he needs to look into.”

Pausing to breathe, Minato scanned the room, watching everyone digest his words. The pure terror at the mere mention of Madara’s name was plain to see. He hated being in such a position of uselessness, unable to protect his village.

Taking advantage of the lull, Homura inserted himself into the discussion. “Citizens are still fearful in light of the Nine Tails’ attack, and the loss of The Leaf’s tailed beast. From their perspective, the village has a target on its back.”

Koharu was quick to jump on Homura’s comment. “They’re _right_. We would do well to show that actions are being taken to keep everyone safe.”

Ever the mediator, Hiruzen added, “Minato, perhaps it would be wise to share some news with the public, however brief it might be, to combat the unrest.”

Minato was appreciative of Hiruzen’s strategic move to divert the conversation away from fear mongering and toward finding a solution. If he wanted to keep the council’s, and by extension the village’s trust, he would need to exude confidence. He made sure to speak without wavering. “Of course, Lord Third. I’ll put something together once I hear back from Master Jiraiya, but I don’t want to make any promises. Not until we know more.”

“How soon _can_ we expect to know more?” Danzo asked, careful to curb the edge in his voice. “I’d like to mobilize a team as soon as possible.”

“On that we can agree, Danzo. The moment I get new evidence from Lord Jiraiya, I’ll pass it along for inspection by our analysis team. Then they’ll reach out to you so the ANBU can follow up.”

Glad to see that the vibe in the room was much less charged than before, Minato rose and stretched. The council looked pleased with the discussion, or at least as satisfied as they were going to get for the time being.

“If no one has anything else,” Minato said, gesturing around the room, “then I’ll end the meeting now. I’d like to get home to my family.”

* * *

The light was still on when Minato walked through the front door and entered the living room, his Hokage cloak neatly folded under one arm. Thankful to have made it back before Kushina went to bed, he was delighted by the sight of her hurrying from the kitchen to greet him. She leapt into his embrace, wrapped both arms around his neck, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, brimming with joy. His wife wore a stained green apron from time spent preparing dinner. He seemed to have caught her in the middle of cleanup, if the supplies in the corner were any indication.

“Welcome home,” Kushina breathed into his ear. She stepped back, reached for his Hokage coat, and hung it up for him. She did the same with his Jonin vest as she called out, “I left the light at the front door on for you.”

“I noticed that,” the weary Hokage said. “Thank you, Kushina. It’s so good to be home!” He half-yawned the last sentence, earning a giggle from his wife as she returned to the living room.

“How was your day? You seem worn out.”

“Yeah,” Minato admitted, making his way to the kitchen to prepare tea. “So many meetings.” He paused, noticing the distinct lack of a certain boisterous third member of the household. “Where’s Naruto?”

“He’s taking a bath,” Kushina said. “He should be out in a bit.” Gasping as she turned to Minato, she rushed into the kitchen, placed her hands over his, and with gentle but firm urgency, guided him away from the counter. “No, no, no! Please, let me do that for you. You’ve had a long day, ya know.”

“Kushina - I can - really, it’s no troub…” Minato tried to protest, but it was useless. Kushina had him resting on the couch with his legs on a padded footstool before he could string together a coherent response. “Well, alright,” he acquiesced, sinking into the fabric.

Minato had to admit this was quite nice. He hadn’t taken personal time to slow down and let himself recover from his non-stop schedule in so long, he’d forgotten how it felt.

“There,” the love of his life said in a soothing tone from across the room, “that’s better.”

He closed his eyes, trying to put the day’s worries aside, and before long, the aroma of a fresh cup of tea greeted him. Its rich, herbal scent yanked Minato back from the edge of unconsciousness. He sat up and grabbed the teacup from Kushina’s hand. Thanking her, he took a careful test sip before sitting it down on the table nearby to cool.

Now apron-less and in more casual clothes, Kushina settled into the seat across from him. “So, how did everything go? Did you speak with Shikaku and the other clan heads?”

Minato rubbed his temples and sighed. “Yeah, but everyone’s very unsettled. They still worry about the motivations of the Uchiha, and the attack from seven years ago isn’t helping any. Even if I’m correct and it _was_ Madara Uchiha I fought, it seems like the council will still hold that against the Uchiha living in the village. I perfectly understand Fugaku’s position. I just wish I’d been able to resolve this before they were all pushed into a separate compound.”

“I know you do,” Kushina said. She walked up to him and placed her hand on top of his again, long red hair draped over her shoulders as she looked into his eyes. “But Minato, you did everything you could, ya know. You always have. Don’t blame yourself for issues that have been around longer than either one of us.”

“Thank you. I guess you’re right.”

“I know I am. I trust the man I married.”

Minato delivered a warm smile, but before he could reply, a rambunctious blond bundle of energy no taller than his waist came bounding down the hall and into the room, jumping into his lap like an excited dog. “Dad!” shouted the boy, burying his face in Minato’s chest. He and Kushina hugged Naruto from either side. Then Kushina stepped back to give the father and son time together.

“Hello son,” Minato said, laughing as some of Naruto’s hair got into his mouth. “You’re energetic today.”

“Yeah!” Naruto looked up with stars in his eyes. “I’m gonna go to the park with Hinata tomorrow! Maybe I’ll get to race her, or ride the big slide!”

An uneasy laugh escaped Kushina when Minato threw her a raised-eyebrow stare. “After you brought him along to the Hyuuga Manor last year, he and Hinata became fast friends, ya know! But they haven’t seen each other since your last talk with Hiashi, and she’s all he’s been able to talk about. So I spoke to her parents and set up a play date.”

“I see.”

Naruto’s smile was brighter than the sun, melting away Minato’s fatigue. The proud father lifted the boy up onto his shoulders and stood tall.

“Then I guess we’d better get you ready for that race, huh Naruto?”

“Mm hm!”

Kushina laughed as Minato counted down from three, then charged around the house making _woosh_ noises with his mouth. Naruto let off a playful cackle the entire time.

“Run faster, Dad! Faster!”

“Okay,” Minato said, “but just a warning. This could get crazy.”

“I’m ready, believe it!” the little tike declared, raising a chubby fist into the air. Both of his parents shared a shocked glance. This was the third time in a week he’d said that. He seemed to have picked up more than Kushina’s strong spirit: he was starting to develop a verbal tic of his own.

“Here goes!” Minato announced before zipping around the house. This time, he was little more than a blur, but the fact Kushina could see him at all was his way of promising her he wouldn’t crash their son into a wall, or bump into her.

When the two reappeared, a very dazed Naruto with a lazy grin on his face fell onto his father’s blond hair like it was a soft pillow. Kushina walked over and took Naruto into her arms so Minato could relax.

“Now, are my two strong men ready for dinner?” she asked, gesturing toward the spread of food she’d laid out while they were having their fun.

“Yeahhhhhhhh!” Naruto agreed with renewed vigor.

“Good. Now come on, help Mom set the table.”

Their dinner was a nice reprieve from the far more uncomfortable roundtables that had claimed most of Minato’s day. He discussed his attempts to develop other uses for his teleportation jutsu, his recent trip to Mount Myoboku to work on mastering Sage Mode, and he also brought up The Council’s plans to renovate a section of the academy in a few weeks. Most of this flew over Naruto’s head. He checked out halfway into his parents’ conversation and used his chopsticks like blades, crossing them together and making noises until Kushina took them and fed him herself. She ignored his grunts and pleas, her attention split between him and his father.

Kushina talked about books she’d read, her perilous trek through the grocery store shopping for herbs to use in a recipe Mikoto had shared with her, and her plans to work with Hiruzen on erecting stronger sealing barriers around key areas of the village. The latter was borne of her personal desire to continue helping The Leaf, even though she was no longer its Jinchuuriki. Minato was glad Kushina had found some way to stay busy that didn’t involve going out on missions again, but he had a feeling she’d be raring to do just that once Naruto was old enough to look after himself.

“Of course The Third doesn’t think we need to be as cautious about something like this as I am,” she went on, “but after what happened to The Land of Eddies, I don’t want to take any chances.”

“What are you two talkin’ about?” Naruto’s small voice asked.

“Just that your mom’s gonna protect us from the bad guys,” Minato said.

“I sure am, ya know!” Kushina flexed an arm, making a feigned determined expression that got a chuckle out of her husband and a gasp of awe from her son.

“Cool,” Naruto whispered. He paused and gave his mom a thoughtful frown. “Mom, what’s an ‘eddy?’”

The dinner went on this way for its remainder, with Naruto’s parents trading off on explaining what they were talking about every few minutes until his young mind’s voracious appetite was sated. While this was a little inconvenient, Minato had to say it was nice to see his son so inquisitive at so young an age. That curiosity would lend itself to him learning and growing at an alarming rate once he became a ninja. However, he didn’t want to enroll Naruto into the academy quite yet, an opinion Kushina also held. Maybe it was just parental worry, or maybe it was because of the attack on the village, but something in the back of the happy couple’s minds made them scared for their son. Was it such a crime that they wanted to shield him from whatever dangers might await him in life for just a year or two more?

When dinner was over, Naruto rubbed his eyes, hopping down from his seat and going to his room to play, only to totter back and forth from exhaustion halfway down the hall. He was too drowsy to resist when his mother scooped him up and rocked him to sleep on the way to his bedroom. Minato stood in the doorway, watching the two people he loved most in silence.

“I’ll put him down,” Kushina whispered over her shoulder, smiling at the tiny Uzumaki.

Minato left her to tuck Naruto in and went into his room to change.

* * *

When Kushina emerged from Naruto’s room, Minato was in the kitchen in his pajamas cleaning up the mess left by their family meal. Given he was using his speed to do so, it was over almost as soon as it started.

“That’s just like you to try and show me up, ya know,” she remarked, gazing at the spotless floor, kitchen countertop, and table left in her husband’s wake.

“I thought I’d return the favor for you doting on me earlier.”

“A great Hokage needs a great wife, doesn’t he?”

“That’s for sure.” Minato rifled through mail left on the kitchen counter, mumbling to himself as he read the labels.

Kushina rummaged through a low cabinet, then walked over to the leaning plant on the far wall and watered its soil. She frowned, knowing the pleasant vibe of the past couple of hours would not last. Naruto had interrupted her and Minato’s serious conversation earlier, and it must have still plagued her husband.

On cue, he said, “Kushina. The coup...it’s still a possibility. The council wants me to act.”

She didn’t answer right away, busying herself with tending to the plant. Deep down, she was sure they both knew it was an attempt at delaying the inevitable. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m thinking about working out some kind of compromise, but first, I’ve asked Danzo to arrange a meeting with Fugaku’s oldest son.”

Kushina gasped. “Itachi? When?”

“Tomorrow. I wouldn’t be surprised if Danzo showed up too, even though that wasn’t part of my request.”

She deflated at his words. The night was already shaping up to be a depressing one. “Danzo’s still speaking out against you?”

“He is. Today he backed down, but he made it clear I don’t have his support. If The Third wasn’t there to keep him from exploding, I might have ended up dismissing him from the meeting.”

“It got that serious?”

Minato gave her a look that said it all.

“Anyway,” he continued, stepping away from the counter and moving toward her, “Kushina, listen. A lot is going to happen in the next few days. According to the rumors, the coup is set for some time in the next two weeks. Please, _please_ , stay away from the Uchiha District when you’re traveling around the village. I don’t want you in the crossfire if anything goes south.”

Kushina’s thoughts immediately shifted to Mikoto. She and Mikoto didn’t see each other as often these days, but she was the truest friend - not counting Minato - that Kushina had managed to make ever since moving to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Danger or not, it seemed wrong to ignore the Uchiha District and its people and just wait to see where the chips fell. Not to mention Kushina didn’t want to abandon her friend Mikoto and her family to suffer a potentially terrible fate.

“Minato,” she interrupted, desperate for a solution, “you have to do something, ya know! Fugaku is a decent man, even if he is a little rough. I know you two have had your differences, but I think it’s worth trying to talk with him.”

“I will,” Minato said with a nod, “but that’s why I asked to speak with Itachi first. He’s our man on the inside. I don’t like it, I’ll admit that much, but who better to make Fugaku more receptive than his oldest child?”

Her misgivings aside, Kushina couldn’t argue. The logic was solid. Still…

“Good luck tomorrow,” she said, eyes averted.

Countering her sadness, Minato gave her a charming grin and asked, “Why don’t we turn in for now? We can think about this more in the morning.”

Caught up in a haze of her own thoughts, Kushina let her husband lead her by the hand. Even in such a state, years of routine had conditioned her to dim the living room lights as they headed for their bedroom. She couldn’t shake her deep sense of unease over how everything was unfolding, and it was clear Minato was going through a similar struggle. However, all they could do for now was lean on one another for support. All she could do as his wife was trust his judgment and believe in him. She hoped that would be enough.


	4. Light in the Darkness

The house was quiet. Naruto had gone out for lunch with Hinata and her mother. Minato was busying himself with the oh-so-minor task of being the political face of the entire village. That left the devoted mother of the household all alone. Kushina wasn’t surprised in the least that her little Naruto orchestrated a plan with Hinata. They’d harnessed the combined power of their cuteness and innocence to beg Hinata’s mother to take them out for ramen. The poor woman didn’t know how to say no, even to children. She’d caved under the pressure and taken them to Ichiraku with the promise that they would return before noon at the latest. Kushina felt for the woman. However, at least this was a nice end of the weekend treat for Naruto before going back to the academy.

Kushina flung a tablecloth through the air, and it billowed in a graceful wave before descending onto the polished dining table. She spread the cloth out in a neat and even fashion, stopping to appreciate her handiwork with her hands on her hips. Now that she’d completed the morning’s household duties, she could take a break and-

Someone knocked on the front door, snapping Kushina out of her trail of thoughts.

“Coming!”

She shuffled toward the door in forest green slippers. A couple of paces from the entrance, she paused to form hand signs, reactivating the lattice of seals she’d placed in the event of an intruder. Of _course_ she’d forgotten a task this morning! And for it to have been something this important…

Okay, she may have been more distracted by the news Minato brought home than she first admitted.

The seals weren’t reacting to whoever was at the door, so Kushina grabbed the handle and pulled, a broad smile on her face. “Good morning, ya know!” She gasped when she registered the look on Mikoto Uchiha’s face.

All color had drained from Mikoto’s skin and her lower facial muscles drooped, giving her an almost zombie-like affect. The signs of fatigue flickered out of existence before Kushina could say anything. She wondered if she imagined them; that is, until her friend spoke.

“Kushina,” Mikoto said, her voice tired, but with a touch of warmth. “It’s good to see you.”

“M-Mikoto!” Kushina stammered, laughing nervously as she stepped aside to invite her in. “I didn’t expect it to be you!”

“Sorry about dropping by unannounced like this,” Mikoto said, slipping her shoes off and leaving them by the wall. She swept the house with a curious glance as she walked to the center of the room. The house had gone through several organizational changes since her last visit.

“Oh, don’t mention it! Please sit.”

Mikoto was the first to sit at the newly adorned dinner table. She lowered herself into one of the seats with all of the grace and poise of a princess. A habit beaten into her by the culture of the Uchiha. A habit Kushina did not share.

“Do you want some water? Maybe tea?”

“No,” Mikoto said, raising a hand, “I’m fine, thank you.” She placed a colorful bag on the table. Kushina had been so caught off guard by having company, she hadn’t noticed the bag until now. “I was in the area, so I thought I’d stop by since we’re both so busy that we rarely see each other anymore.”

“Ah, you brought a gift! You really didn’t have to do that, ya know.”

“It’s no problem. I still owe you from your childbirth, don’t I?”

Kushina plopped into the seat across from her guest and waved her hands in a frantic motion. “Really, it was nothing! We kept it a secret, after all. No one had time to prepare.”

Mikoto nodded. Her long, jet-black hair covered her like a black veil over the face of a mourning widow. She swept it aside. “True. That day was the most frightened I’ve ever seen you.”

Kushina shuddered. The merciless pain she went through delivering her beloved child was a memory best left in the recesses of her mind. Not to mention all that came afterward.

“Actually, speaking of Naruto, where is he? There’s a gift for each of the three of you in here. I would love to show him his in person. I haven’t seen him since he was still a baby.”

“That’s sweet of you. Sorry, he’s out enjoying some Ichiraku Ramen with a friend.”

“I see,” Mikoto said in a solemn tone. She sounded more disappointed than was appropriate; she could always visit another time. “Give him my best, will you?” Mikoto put on a smile.

“Sure. Hey, is anything wrong?” Kushina probed. “You seem distant today.”

_Way to be subtle, Kushina_ , she chided herself.

“What do you mean?” Mikoto said, her voice rising an octave.

Her friend’s blunder made Kushina more confident that her suspicions were well founded, so she dug a little deeper. “I just meant that you seem a little off today.”

The moment the words left her mouth, something clicked for Kushina. Could Mikoto have snuck out to see her? It would explain why she was so on edge. Besides, it made sense. Fugaku wasn’t the type to neglect warning his wife about the changing climate in the village, so chances were high that her being here right now was a secret.

Mikoto was no fool. She had to know the danger of being caught chatting with Kushina at a time like this. After all, rumors of an Uchiha Coup had spread like wildfire ever since Minato’s last meeting with The Council. Various twisted versions of the truth leaked out, such as “The Leaf Police Force is going on strike,” “Fugaku Uchiha is closing the borders of the Uchiha District,” or “The Uchiha are pulling out of the Leaf military forces.” It boggled Kushina’s mind that stories like these were cooked up in the first place. How had the message conveyed in the council meeting been twisted so much in such a short time?

If she’d learned nothing else from this ordeal, it was that the power of gossip was not to be underestimated. People she bumped into on daily errands often tried to get information out of her. Of course, as the Hokage’s wife, she was duty-bound to “neither confirm nor deny” until it all blew over.

“I’m just feeling a little stir-crazy lately,” Mikoto lied. “If I’m being honest, that’s also part of the reason why I went out of the house in the first place. I needed a change of scenery.”

Mikoto delivered a hollow chuckle. The stark contrast between her friend’s outward smile and her masked pain tore her apart. Yet there Kushina sat, playing along, unable to resolve the situation. At least, not without doing things that would put one of the opposing military forces at a disadvantage. Whichever side was victorious, the outcome would hurt people she cared about.

After retrieving a tiny box from the bag and presenting Kushina with it, Mikoto stood and turned toward the door. “Well, I’ve got to get back. You know how Fugaku can be. I’d best hurry before he starts making Sasuke and Itachi train through lunchtime again.”

Kushina clenched her fists. What should she say? This might be her last opportunity before...before who knew what?

Mikoto strode toward the door, her dress trailing behind her, catching a glint of sun that made it dazzling to behold. Kushina’s eyes fell on the intricate embroidery at the center of her friend’s back. It was the Uchiha crest, a red and white shape that resembled a handheld fan. Mikoto’s dress, along with the crest, shone as if sunlight itself were woven into the fabric. She looked like an angel.

“Hey,” Kushina said. She grabbed Mikoto’s delicate hand as she finished slipping on her shoes, causing her to turn back. “If something’s bothering you, you can talk to me, ya know?”

Her friend looked at her from beneath the lids of expressionless eyes, then hung her head. Whatever decision she had come to did not seem to be a good one.

“I need to get going, Kushina.” Mikoto smiled again. This time, and for the first time since she set foot in the house, the joy reached her eyes.

The usual aura of positivity and openness absent from Kushina’s friend until now broke through in earnest. Warmed by Mikoto’s smile, Kushina remembered why they became friends in the first place. The sheer overwhelming acceptance the Uchiha girl had extended to her was unmatched by her more judgmental peers. Where most people saw a rowdy and unladylike embarrassment of a child shouting nonsense about becoming Hokage, Mikoto saw a girl with value and potential. She’d even helped Kushina with her shuriken training when they were young.

They grew up discussing their dreams and what kinds of lives they expected to have ten years down the road. They hadn’t spent every moment together, but each one was special in its own way. Kushina was the strong woman she was today in no small part because of her lifelong friend. Now a wedge was being driven between them, and there was nothing either of them could do to stop it.

“It really _has_ been good to see you.” Mikoto leaned in and gave Kushina’s hand a light squeeze. She left before the former Jinchuuriki could reply.

* * *

It was just past the crack of dawn when Minato skidded to a halt at the rendezvous point for his meeting with Itachi. He knelt, absorbing the shock of how fast he’d traveled here, then stood to search for the young Uchiha. The meeting place was a small clearing just beyond the treeline separating The Leaf’s training grounds from the wilderness. The faint chirping of crickets and a babbling brook gave the place a calming atmosphere. Minato ruined this for himself by remembering his reason for being here.

“Hello, Lord Fourth.”

Itachi stepped out from within the shadow of a cluster of trees, fully clad in his ANBU gear, and took a knee.

Minato turned on his heel, shocked that he hadn’t noticed the young man right away. “Itachi, you’re already here! Good. Please, stand up. No need for any formalities.”

Hesitant at first, the boy obeyed.

“I’m sorry to call this meeting so suddenly, but it’s important. I’m sure Danzo filled you in.”

Itachi nodded. “I was told you wished to discuss the clan’s issues with the village.”

“Yes, but not only that. If the news of an impending coup really is true, then as the Hokage, my goal is to avoid any bloodshed.”

The boy said nothing, regarding Minato with intense scrutiny. Even without his Sharingan active, Itachi had the presence of a man three times his age.

“So,” Minato asked tentatively, “did Danzo pass on the rest of my message?”

“Yes. I’ve come alone as requested, Lord Hokage.”

Although he had no reason to believe Itachi would lie, Minato owed it to himself and the well-being of the village to check anyway. He closed his eyes, tapping into a place in himself not often visited. He still didn’t have perfect mastery of this ability, but it would suit his needs even at his current level.

Itachi, and all of Minato’s surroundings, faded into obscurity. The sounds of the surrounding wildlife and flowing water quieted to a dull whisper. Energy streamed around and through The Fourth Hokage in the form of lustrous waves of color, connecting him to the world around him in a way that nothing else could. Sage chakra integrated itself into his body from all directions, opening him up to details about the environment that he had not noticed prior to the transformation. He felt the life forces of every being nearby, including Itachi, from the crickets in the grass and rabbits among the underbrush to the two ninja practicing their shuriken throwing some ways away. If there was a creature with a heartbeat anywhere in his vicinity, his Sage Mode picked it up. Yet sure enough, as Itachi had said, no one was around to eavesdrop. No Danzo in sight.

“Are you satisfied now?” Itachi asked. “From what I’ve heard, your sensory powers are much greater in this form.”

Minato froze, caught off guard. Itachi was much sharper than he’d given him credit for at first. The boy had picked up on his plan to use Sage Mode to check for spies right away, even without the Sharingan. Kakashi hadn’t been joking about his skills.

_Fugaku, you sure know how to raise splendid ninja._

An instant later, the relieved Hokage opened his eyes. They’d already lost the heightened perception that sage chakra afforded.

“We can begin,” Minato said. “I used Sage Mode just to be on the safe side. I’m sure you understand.”

“Of course.”

“Now, as for why I’m here...I spoke with Danzo and the rest of the elders, and it would seem there are rumors that an Uchiha Coup is on the rise. Is this true?”

Itachi gave no visible emotional reaction as he confirmed the claim. “Yes. Led by my father.”

Minato rested both hands on his hips, kicking the dirt in a futile gesture of frustration. “I’d hoped this wasn’t the case, but I would be lying if I said I was surprised.” He looked up at Itachi, deciding it was best not to sugarcoat or pretend the boy didn’t understand the situation. “And how do _you_ feel about this?”

Itachi paused to formulate a response. “I worry that this could have a disastrous impact on both the clan and the village.”

“And Danzo?”

Flinching for a moment, Itachi appeared to weigh the outcome of his next reply. Then he spoke without reservation. “He agrees. Danzo has plans to stage a massacre of the Uchiha Clan before the clan can trigger a war we may never recover from.” He looked away. “I would rather find a compromise.”

The horror of Itachi’s words hit Minato like a sucker punch to the gut. He’d expected Danzo to have plotted something unethical in secret, but _this?_ The potential atrocity needed to be stopped. Minato was not going to sit by and let this happen.

  
“I see,” he replied, failing to keep his voice level. “I feel the same way you do. I’m a firm believer that anyone who lives among us in the Hidden Leaf is a part of the village. Itachi, I regret that you’re in this position, but I’m not going to beat around the bush here. You have a choice to make. I know you serve ANBU Root, but as a ninja under the banner of The Leaf, you have another responsibility. That’s to the safety and security of the village.”

He stared hard at Itachi, who winced, but did not look away.

“Yes, Lord Hokage.”

“Itachi, I’m going to request to meet with your father. I want to try to make things right with the Uchiha through peaceful discussion rather than force. Please...will you help me try to fix this?”

The boy wasted no time confirming that he was on board. He went on to inform Minato that the date of the coup had moved up to three days from now, which was a much shorter timetable than the one first discussed in meetings with The Council. Minato had a lot to do, and not much time left to do it in. He decided to leave Itachi with a little something, given that they saw eye to eye and the poor kid was clearly feeling cornered. Who wouldn’t, in his position?

“Keep this on you at all times. It will allow me to jump to you using my-”

“Your Flying Thunder God jutsu, correct?” Itachi reached out and took the custom kunai that Minato dangled in front of him, stowing it in a compartment on his outfit. “I understand. Also, there’s something else you should know.”

Great. There was something _more_ on top of everything he already learned?

“What’s that?” Minato asked.

“You’ve probably heard from Lord Hiruzen that I have been investigating the independent organization called the Akatsuki.”

“Yeah, I know a little about that. He mentioned it to me once, in confidence. Actually, I’d prefer if you reported details about the Akatsuki to both of us from now on. I know The Third will give his all to protect this village, but he and Danzo have a history. One that I fear could compromise his judgment.”

Itachi swallowed, his eyes flashing with internal conflict. “I have one last question, if I may.”

Minato gestured with his wrist. “Go ahead.”

“How will you deal with Danzo?”

“I’m going to shut his whole operation down myself. Leave it to me. Danzo may order you to go behind my back. If he does, make sure you come to me. I know it may not seem like it now, but there’s a way out for you, Itachi.”

Minato couldn’t tell if his words got through or not, but he decided to dismiss the young informant for now and let him reflect on their conversation in private.

“Thank you, Lord Fourth.” Itachi sounded hopeful for the first time since they met. Saying nothing further, he vanished into the night as if becoming one with the shadows.

* * *

Minato decided to walk home tonight rather than teleport. He had a great deal of information to mull over, and that just wouldn’t be possible with his irresistible, loving wife and the never-ending fountain of energy known as his son around. He needed space and time to think.

Earlier in the day, he’d expressed to Danzo and the other council members in no uncertain terms that the Uchiha Clan was not to be aggressed in any way. At long last, he’d also spoken with Fugaku, who remained tight-lipped and frigid despite his best efforts. However, Fukagu did agree to attend the next Leaf Jonin Council session. He had boycotted them ever since Minato was named Hokage. The Uchiha leader’s input had counted for nothing against overwhelmingly favorable votes. The Uchiha Clan moved out of the village’s main housing sections and into a separate compound soon afterward. Considering the many ways his discussion with the Uchiha patriarch could have gone, Minato was grateful that Fugaku met with him at all.

His evening was spent relaxing with his family. Rather, trying to with limited success.

Kushina settled into bed beside him, laying on his shoulder and telling him about Naruto’s latest adventures. He tried, _really_ tried, to listen, but he couldn’t. Thankfully, his wife was far too enrapt in her storytelling to notice. All he could think about the whole time was the ANBU, the Uchiha, and how he needed to do something to de-escalate things before another war erupted. He couldn’t let it happen again. Not after the way the last war ripped families and friends, and even his own team, apart. He would be the Hokage his village needed now, even if it killed him.

* * *

A couple of days after his proclamation to Danzo, Minato was on his way to assist with a high priority mission. The assigned team had not returned by nightfall, as expected, or the night after that. He was deep within the forest beyond the main Leaf Village gate when he got the first inkling that something was amiss back in the village. The evening sky darkened overhead while he tried to calm the tightening knot in his stomach.

_Maybe I’m just being superstitious,_ he told himself, _but something’s off. The air feels...different._

His fears were confirmed as a black crow, different from the messenger birds he was used to seeing in any of the hidden villages, alighted on a branch with something stuck in its beak. He approached, cautious but curious, and wrestled the rolled up note from its grip. Inside was a single, unmistakable message.

The Uchiha crest was sketched with a minimalist art style, and there was a splintering crack at its center. Without a doubt, this was Itachi’s work. Time was running out.

_What?_ he thought to himself as he leapt at insane speeds through the trees toward the village. _Danzo’s still not calling it off? I have to stop this!_

He flung a couple of his custom kunai toward two spots near the front gate. Then he called upon his chakra to jump to the marked ninja tool he’d left with Itachi. He could use the kunai near the village entrance as an exit strategy if needed.

Minato whirled around, getting his bearings. He was on the outskirts of the Uchiha District. The kunai he’d given Itachi was embedded in the stone tile at his feet, but the boy himself was nowhere to be seen.

“I knew I was right to suspect that child would betray me.”

Glaring in the direction of the familiar voice, Minato saw Danzo emerge from around the corner of a building.

“Danzo, what have you done?” he said.

“Nothing yet. Only trusted a hunch, Minato.” Danzo frowned, eyeing the kunai on the ground. “I see you’ve worked out a plan with Itachi in secret. Good thing I managed to switch out that little gift of yours with a replica while he was at ANBU headquarters. I knew it would deliver you straight to me.”

Minato slid a custom kunai from its holster and held it out at his side, making sure it was visible. Through sleight of hand, he hid another in the opposite sleeve. “I’m not the one in the wrong here. Danzo, you’re conspiring against the village!”

“I don’t see it that way, Minato,” Danzo said. “You misunderstand. I’m conspiring against _you_. You may be the Hokage, but you don’t have The Leaf’s best interest at heart. Your weak-willed attempts at putting a bandage over the gaping wounds that threaten the village’s survival will be the death of us.”

“So what, then? The solution is killing the Uchiha, innocents and usurpers alike?!” Anger boiled in Minato. He tempered his emotions; he needed a clear head to handle this.

“ _Someone_ has to do _something_. You refuse to act. Hiruzen refuses to back my claims when he knows I am right. So if neither of you will step up, that someone has to be me.” Danzo marched forward a few more steps, making a hand sign. “Itachi has his orders, and after you fail to intervene, he’ll finish the job as instructed.”

“I’m not going to let you kill these people,” Minato said.

He raised his kunai-wielding arm and flung the projectile within a hair of Danzo’s face, then threw the second one as the elder turned to anticipate Minato’s teleportation. Danzo harmlessly struck the air with a concealed standard kunai. Minato jumped to the second custom kunai and used it to slice through Danzo’s neck at an angle, drawing a spray of blood. Both Danzo and the crimson fluid vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind a harmless log.

“A substitution!” Minato said, dodging as a flurry of dense wind blasts cut through the air, missing him by inches.

Judging Danzo’s location by sound and the direction of his ranged attack, Minato pushed off from the side of a building with a burst of chakra, speeding toward his target faster than any normal eye could track. The moment he reached Danzo, who was hiding at the end of an alley, he moved in for a killing blow and came face to face with something he would never have expected.

“You aren’t the only one who came prepared, Minato.” Danzo condescended, a smug grin creeping across his leathery skin as he made eye contact with the Hokage. His right eye fixated on Minato, rooting him to the spot. The kunai in Minato’s hand came to an abrupt stop an inch from Danzo’s face.

_No!_ Minato cried in his mind, but it was already too late. He knew that eye pattern. It was Shisui Uchiha’s Sharingan! Danzo was using _that_ genjutsu, so there was nothing he could do now.

A new truth rang out loud and clear in his mind, all without Danzo making a sound. The fabric of Minato’s reality dissolved and was replaced by something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has been supportive of this fic so far! For anyone who missed the memo, I intend to upload new chapters once a month.
> 
> There is no specific day when I will upload. I can't promise constant feedback like this, but for now just know that I see and appreciate your comments!


	5. A Savior’s Burden

Minato stumbled through the front door in a haze that hadn’t lifted ever since he found himself wandering down a random side street of The Leaf Village. A faint memory of searching for a threat while on patrol filled in the blank of why he’d taken this path to his house instead of just teleporting there. Still, something was off about all of this. He searched the depths of his recent memory, trying to piece things together, but to no avail. No one was out on the streets this late, and the usual calming stillness of the evening emphasized his rising sense of dread. Maybe once he made it home, he could finally figure something out.

“Minato!” cried Kushina as he entered. She came stumbling around the corner, her face bone-white with panic, hurried into the living room and clasped both hands onto his shoulders. “Are you alright? Where have you been? Are you hurt?”

She waited for him to catch his breath, her eyes full of fear and on the verge of tears.

“I...I was out late, wasn’t I?” Minato asked, still in a daze.

Kushina ushered him over to one of their green dining chairs, slipped his Hokage coat off and sat him down. She held a palm against his forehead. “You don’t have a fever. Let me get you some water though, just in case.”

She hurried into the kitchen and fetched a glass for him. In all of the commotion, Minato realized Kushina had never uttered a single “ya know.” Only a very worried Kushina would abandon her natural verbal tic.

A few gulps of cool, refreshing water later, he sat up and looked her in the eyes. She knelt in front of her husband, watching him like a hawk.

“Kushina, it’s okay,” he assured her. “You can calm down now. I’m fine.”

“Then could you at least tell me where you were? You’ve been gone most of the night! Naruto and I were worried sick..”

“I’ve been...I’ve been patrolling the village.” Minato scraped at his mind, desperate for any shred of information. The harder he willed himself to recall recent events, the more memories resurfaced. “Before that, I was on my way to support a team I’d sent on a top secret mission. But I got concerned, so I rushed back to the village.”

“Concerned? You mean about the Uchiha? The coup was scheduled for today, wasn’t it?”

“The coup! That’s right. The coup I was supposed to stop...”

This triggered something in Minato. Or rather, he felt it _should_ have. He remembered speaking with someone regarding the coup rumored to take place by the order of Fugaku Uchiha. He remembered being very cautious and wanting to make sure _something_ didn’t happen. He even remembered holding a meeting regarding that something. Everyone was there. Koharu, Homura, Danzo…

Danzo. What was it he couldn’t remember about Danzo?

Then it came flooding back, piece by piece. Minato remembered detecting an unusual chakra signature that left him unsettled, then heading out to patrol and look for its source. Finding nothing to back up his suspicions, he dismissed the matter and decided to head home. There was no reason to make Kushina and Naruto worry about him. He had told himself that if the Jonin team did not report in by morning, he would go out and search for them again.

He relayed as much to his wife, who did not seem convinced.

“What do you mean? I spoke with Kakashi earlier. He said you’d been away from the village for the past three hours! He even summoned his ninja hounds and checked for me just to be sure. They couldn’t find you anywhere, but your scent was all over the street near the Uchiha District.”

Three hours? There was no way he’d been out _that_ long, was there? On second thought, his recollection didn’t make much sense. He didn’t have perfect control of Sage Mode, but even so, he could have used it to find the source of the strange chakra. So why had he taken the more troublesome route of patrolling alone? A sinking feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. Was he under the influence of a genjutsu?

The inconsistencies in his memory frustrated Minato, and his wife seemed to notice this without him saying a word. She rose from the floor, taking his hands in hers.

“We’re taking you to see Inoichi tomorrow. He should be able to deal with whatever’s affecting your memories.”

He wanted to reject the suggestion. He wanted to tell his wife she was overreacting, and that there was nothing to worry about. However, he knew deep in his bones that this wasn’t the case. Nothing was adding up. Something had gone horribly wrong in his village.

* * *

  
  


“Alright, there’s definitely something more going on.” Inoichi removed his firm grip from Minato’s forehead. Kushina gave his shoulder a quick squeeze, and he reached up to caress her hand.

“I was afraid you’d say that.” Minato looked at the floor.

“I’m sorry, Lord Hokage,” Inoichi said, a sober frown on his face. “And you’re absolutely certain you don’t recall anything more about last night?”

Minato nodded. “Yes. I haven’t been able to remember much more besides patrolling for a while after I sensed an unfamiliar chakra.”

“I understand. Please hold still. I’m going to try a deeper dive.”

“Will it hurt him?” Kushina asked.

“I...I honestly don’t know, Lady Kushina.” The head of The Leaf’s Analysis Team dropped his gaze. His ash blond ponytail spilled across one shoulder as he delivered the bitter truth.

“It’s alright,” Minato said. He gave his trusted subordinate a determined nod. “Do it.”

This was for the village. _Everything_ was for the village. After the recent tragedy, Minato couldn’t afford to hesitate.

He had seen the bodies. The long, nigh-endless streets littered with the corpses of unsuspecting Uchiha victims: men, women, and children alike. Half-dried blood clung to their tattered garments like paint on a canvas, immortalizing them in a twisted mural of death left in the wake of what everyone was now calling The Uchiha Massacre.

They were all dead.

Well, almost all. Sasuke Uchiha, Fugaku Uchiha’s youngest boy, had been found alive, but unconscious. Save for Sasuke, not a single soul survived. In the aftermath, everyone was looking to their leader, The Fourth Hokage, The Yellow Flash who’d hastened the end of the Third Ninja World War with his mere presence, demanding answers he didn’t have. How had something so horrific happened on Minato’s watch, with he and the rest of his forces none the wiser, and what was he going to do about it?

He didn’t know.

Inoichi clamped a hand onto his forehead again.

He didn’t know, but he could try to find out. This was the most reliable way. So he shut his eyes, relaxed his mind, and allowed Inoichi to pass chakra into him. Whether the senior member of the Yamanaka Clan unearthed answers or only more questions, Minato knew he would never shake the immense guilt he wore like a badge of dishonor.

No matter who was the true culprit, _he_ was the one responsible for protecting the lives of his people. That meant the blood of the Uchiha was on his hands.

* * *

  
  


Inoichi flowed into the consciousness of The Fourth Hokage with little resistance, like a creek merging into a river. There was a faint sensation of his physical body slumping as it fell into the chair he’d positioned behind himself prior to using the Mind Transfer Jutsu. Then all physical stimuli faded and there was only the world inside of the Hokage’s mind.

Having condensed his chakra into a smaller imitation of his real body, Inoichi willed his spirit forward amidst a sea of information, searching for its epicenter. He splayed his translucent arms and rode the wave of Minato’s neural network, wading through it until he reached a large, cavernous space. Inoichi headed straight for the hub.

The size of Minato’s brain dwarfed him several times over. Looking up at it in awe, Inoichi took a breath to calm himself. Of course, this was something he’d done to extract intel numerous times in the past, but this mental journey was the most daunting of them all. His subject wasn’t a captured enemy or criminal. This time, it was the Hokage himself. 

_I’ve made it,_ Inoichi thought to himself, reaching out toward the large mass of tissue. _Now…_

The moment his hand connected with Minato’s brain, he was transferred into his host’s subconscious. Many layers deep, beneath all of The Fourth’s surface thoughts, there was something else. Sure, there was a pocket of multiple repressed memories, with a hint of trauma, some doubt, and flat out denial of certain aspects of himself, as was typical with any mind. But that wasn’t all.

_What’s this?_

Recessed behind the bundles of nerves and tissue, where there should have been more of the same, was a cavity of some kind. Inoichi suspected the spot had been tampered with, confirming this with ease by calling upon a stream of chakra. He passed it through the gap in an attempt to read the memories there. While there were bits of memory, the majority of it was too fragmented to make much sense of at first.

Reassembling the sequence was a quick process. He’d done things like this before, after all, so he knew the most efficient method. Still, he needed to leave before he ran out of chakra. That meant he had no choice but to stop when the reconstruction was still incomplete, leaving him with many more questions than answers. Maybe in the real world, Lord Hokage could help elucidate some of it for him. Given time and a nudge in the right direction, the scattered bits of memory might repair the connections on their own. Inoichi had seen it before with victims of PTSD in the war. He committed as much of The Fourth’s information to memory as he could, then used a hand sign to expel himself.

* * *

  
  


Kushina yelped beside Minato as he clasped his hands together to form a sign. He didn’t blame her for the strong reaction. After a couple of minutes of not moving an inch, he’d sprung to life with no warning. Who _wouldn’t_ get startled in her position? This was Minato’s first time being ‘possessed’ by a Yamanaka, and the surreal experience of having someone else in command of his body left him unsettled.

On the bright side, at least it was over.

“Release!” said the voice that should have been his.

Minato’s body went slack at the same time that Inoichi’s spasmed to life. The two men took a moment to adjust to having control of themselves again. Everything appeared blurry for a moment; the chairs where Minato and his wife sat, the table against the far wall, and even the light fixtures that cast a lukewarm glow over the center of the room. He watched it all swim into focus, concentrating on the comforting feeling of Kushina’s hand on his back until the lightheadedness passed. Once it did, he got right to the point.

“What did you find?” Minato locked eyes with Inoichi.

“I found a second layer of memories beneath the first set. The two were partially merged at some points, as if the original was being overwritten. I did my best to parse out the fresh memories from the old, and I was able to recover almost everything. From what I could tell, you left the village yesterday evening. You were heading off to support the team that just returned this morning from a recon mission.”

“Right. I remember that.”

“You received a message by bird as you were making your way through the forest on the outskirts of The Leaf, the contents of which were redacted when I tried to examine them in your mind.”

Minato scrunched his nose up in confusion, feeling Kushina’s eyes on him. He _didn’t_ remember _that_.

“What occurred past that point is difficult to decipher. I saw bits and pieces, but nothing of much value. At any rate, it seems you changed course after getting the message and hurried back to The Leaf for some reason. Your memories seemed almost...corrupted.”

“Corrupted?” Kushina said.

“Uh, yes. Think of it like a damaged tape recording. The data is mostly there, but some parts are lost.”

“Lost as in permanently?” she asked with a shaky voice.

“That’s hard to say right now. I’d like to think there is a chance to reverse this, but without knowing the cause, I can’t make a final determination. I’ve at least managed to use some of my chakra to isolate your true memories in a place the new ones can’t get to them and do any further damage.”

Minato sighed, resting his hands on his knees. Kushina exchanged a worried look with Inoichi. She clenched her fists and stepped in front of her husband, still shaking with emotion. He stared up at her in silence. Without ceremony, she crouched and threw her arms around him.

“We’re going to figure this out,” she said through choked sobs, “so don’t give up, ya know!”

“Thank you, Kushina.”

Minato returned her hug, then stood and faced Inoichi with a steely-eyed gaze. “Thank _you_ , too, Inoichi. Were you able to see anything else? Tell me everything. I’ve got to learn whatever I can so that I can protect the village.”

* * *

Inochi swallowed hard. He didn’t know much more than when he took the mental plunge, but he knew what little he _had_ gleaned would only make Minato feel worse. The Yamanaka loathed that he had the unfortunate job of being the bearer of unpleasant news.

“Well,” Inoichi huffed, “here goes.”

* * *

  
  


Kushina swung wildly in a random direction as she entered her home, sending a framed portrait unfortunate enough to be hanging near the front door flying across the room. It clattered against the wall, smashing into three pieces. Minato hurried in behind her, fidgeting with nervous energy as he secured the latch on the door. First came news of her friend’s death along with the rest of her clan, and now this? It was a wonder Kushina had made it this far before blowing a fuse.

“Kushina!” he begged. “Please, calm down!”

“I _knew_ that good for nothing Danzo was up to something! I just knew it, ya know!” She growled, stomping over to the curtains and forcing them shut. Kushina muttered to herself, continuing to angry-clean as she spouted word after venomous word about the apparent shady goings-on in the village.

Minato shook his head. This was going to be a long day.

Inoichi’s news, while incomplete, pointed to Danzo having something to do with whatever led to the memory loss. If current reports from The Third and Danzo’s ANBU Root operatives were to be trusted, then on the same night Minato was having difficulty recounting, a lone man laid waste to the entirety of the Uchiha compound. Inoichi’s recollection of Minato’s fragmented memories placed Danzo at the scene of his last waking moment before stumbling home to Kushina. Danzo had discussed an unknown issue with Minato related to the Uchiha Clan, who opposed him in some way. Past that point, everything was a blur. In a flimsy effort to lighten the mood, The Fourth joked with himself that apart from his interaction with Danzo happening in an open square, their encounter was no different from a typical council meeting.

Itachi Uchiha, the oldest of Fugaku’s two boys, was branded a traitor and blamed for the atrocity committed against his clan. Minato remembered speaking to him a short time before the incident, but he could not recall the main points of that conversation. All he knew was that for whatever reason, he had planned to meet with Itachi at a later date, and he had let the child down in some way. A hollow echo of something like guilt intensified the more he strained himself to find the missing pieces of the puzzle.

The work Inoichi did to restore his memory was a huge help, but Minato wasn’t certain what action to take now. Judging by all that he had in front of him, it wasn’t too farfetched to assume that he had tried to set up a countermeasure against the planned coup, and that the strategy he employed involved Itachi. Still, even if he was right, it didn’t change the fact that things had gone far worse than expected, or that he had a major mess to clean up as the Hokage.

First and foremost, he needed to quell the wrath of his beloved.

Kushina’s red hair stood on end, swaying in random arcs like waving tendrils of death. She stormed down the hall to their bedroom, making it clear why no one in The Leaf Village had dared to cross the Red Hot Habanero ever since her academy days.

“Kushina, wait!” Minato chased after her, wracking his brain for the right words to ease her explosive emotions. “We don’t know anything for sure. Not yet, at least.”

“We don’t, huh?!” she said. “Well, I could go knock the truth out of him myself. I bet that would do the trick!” She stomped out of the bedroom, fists balled. 

“Kushina, please.” Minato let off a nervous laugh. “You know I’d have to step in as Hokage if you attacked a Leaf Elder.” Thinking fast, he added, “Oh, and didn’t you say you wanted to pick up some ingredients for Naruto’s favorite soup this morning?” He glanced at the clock.

Kushina followed his gaze and all of her anger melted away like snow, replaced by the softness of a mother’s love.

“What? It’s really almost time for the market to open?! Why didn’t you say so, ya know?” Kushina scrambled around the house, finding her purse and a few personal items. “I can’t miss the half-off sales.”

She sped past, stopping to give him a quick kiss before she disappeared through the doorway with a quick goodbye. Her facial expression held a multitude of suppressed emotions. Others may not have noticed, but none of it got past her husband - a deep sense of purpose, worry, and of course, grief. Minato feared her mask might crack by the time she made it to the marketplace. He, too, felt a painful tug in his heart as he remembered the thoughtful gifts Mikoto brought them yesterday. He would never have the chance to thank her. If it was hitting _him_ this hard, he couldn’t imagine the impact her loss was having on Kushina right now.

Sighing, he walked over to the destroyed picture frame and lifted it piece by piece. Cleaning up after her was the least he could do given all she was feeling today. He needed to prepare a public statement about the massacre too, in order to de-escalate any panic sparked by the news. Minato didn’t feel ready to set foot in his office again without answers for why he had failed to prevent so many deaths, but he had a job to do. He’d finish up here and then find Genma and the others.

_Then_ he would decide what to do about Danzo.

* * *

  
  


Later that evening, Minato returned home and kicked off his shoes before embracing Kushina, who was still trying to conceal her heavy heart behind smiles he saw through. He decided not to push her. It was better to let her tell him in her own time. Only after Naruto had gone to bed did she finally open up. Minato was sitting on their shared sleeping mat poring over jutsu formula records when she creased her lips, bunching the cover up against her knees.

“Kushina?” he said, setting his reading material aside.

“Minato,” she forced out, waiting until her voice was level to speak again. “I had a bad feeling that morning. The one before...you know.”

Minato tilted his head, waiting for her to finish.

“It was Mikoto. She was different yesterday, like she couldn’t get something off of her mind. I think...I think she knew. I think she knew she was going to die.” Tears pooled in Kushina’s eyes. She sniffled a few times, but could not hold them back. The dam broke and she fell against Minato, sobbing into his shoulder.

He let her lay there offloading all of her pain onto him, being her rock, and wishing in his heart that he could take the pain away. But it was pointless. Mikoto was dead. Fugaku was dead. They were all dead, and no supportive words were going to bring them back. The Uchiha Clan had been wiped out, and whether direct or indirect, it was all his fault.

* * *

  
  


Danzo left his ANBU detail standing in front of snake symbol-engraved double doors and entered the passage beyond them alone. Poor lighting showed him the way down a narrow path to an inner chamber. He descended a set of stairs, turned a corner, and entered a far more open space lined with shelves stocked with jars of unknown substances. Some of the jars held liquids of a variety of colors. Others contained what looked to be preserved tissue.

A pale, inconspicuous figure stood between Danzo and a table at the center of the room. They worked in silence, using tools to tinker with whatever - or whoever - was underneath the bloodied sheet draped across the table. Coughing to announce himself, Danzo stepped further into the room. The man he came to visit cast him a sidelong glance.

“Hello, Danzo,” Orochimaru cooed, a sly smirk peeking out from behind his long black hair. “I see you haven’t forgotten your way here.”

“Orochimaru.” Danzo walked to a corner of the room and did his best to ignore a row of what he thought were human remains pinned to boards on the wall. “I assume you’ve made progress with your latest subject?”

Rather than answer, Orochimaru stepped away from the table and turned to his visitor. “I think we both know why you’re here, don’t we? Shall we get on with your request?”

The smooth texture of his voice was in stark contrast to the vile smell and gloomy appearance of the laboratory. If Danzo didn’t know the man any better, he might have fallen for the thin veneer of sincerity. Orochimaru’s slit-like pupils that held an animalistic gaze also did him no favors. Any time Danzo was around Orochimaru, there was the sense that something sinister lay just beneath the surface.

“You have many eyes on you, you know.” Danzo lifted a jar from the shelf nearest him and examined it with a repugnant frown. Losing interest, he set it down again, then moved on to another. “The Fourth will likely find out about this place soon. He may be under the effects of my genjutsu, but we can’t count on that keeping him busy forever.”

“Don’t think so low of me. I have a contingency plan for that, of course.”

“Will you be able to finish our arrangement? If Minato tracks you down-”

“I have a plan for dealing with The Fourth’s jutsu. Don’t worry. Besides, this should be the last time you’ll need to visit me.” Orochimaru lifted a pre-filled syringe from the table where he’d been working and examined its tip.

This was taking much longer than necessary, but Danzo couldn’t rush things. Still, watching the scientist revel in his position of power made him tremble with anger. Orochimaru used to be under his thumb, vying for a shot at being nominated Hokage, for crying out loud! The shift in their dynamic was a bitter pill to swallow. But it didn’t matter. Anything was worth it if it meant reaching his goals.

“Are they here?” Danzo asked, working the wrapping around his bound arm loose as he spoke.

“Who are you referring to?”

“Don’t play coy. The _children_ , Orochimaru. Not to mention your other test subjects.”

“No, no,” Orochimaru denied with a chuckle, “I’d never keep all of my cards in one hand. You know me better than that.” He walked over to one of the shelves and pulled a sealed container from it, taking a peek inside. “I’ve kept them in a separate location.”

If Danzo were being honest, the idea of recruiting yet another of Orochimaru’s successes into the ranks of Root appealed to him more with each passing day. His situation wasn't looking all that favorable, despite Orochimaru’s lack of concern. First the denial of Danzo's nomination of Orochimaru for the new Hokage seat, and now one of Root’s most reliable agents’ possible betrayal? Just how much more would go wrong?

A searing pain snapped Danzo out of his thoughts. He grunted and looked down at his partially uncovered arm. The enhanced vision of Shisui’s sharingan looked past the fabric of his sleeve and perceived the surgical wound underneath. The skin there was dimpled around the edges, and raw to the touch. No matter how much it hurt to admit, he simply wasn’t up to par right now. He needed more cards to play while he healed.

Orochimaru beckoned him, teeth bared in a foreboding smile. “Come with me. We’ll get that arm of yours taken care of.”

Danzo twitched, fighting to endure the dull sensations of itching and pain. “Good. This thing’s been troublesome to deal with, even with the medicine you gave me.”

They made their way to a back room, where they were presented with another examination table, this one empty. Danzo said nothing and climbed onto the table. He laid flat and allowed Orochimaru to fasten him down.

“Unlike last time,” Orochimaru said with a snicker, “this won’t hurt.”

Danzo didn’t need to be able to perform the Mind Transfer Jutsu to know that was a lie. A needle pricked his good arm. In seconds, the edges of his vision blurred to nothing.

* * *

  
  


The funeral service Minato organized for the surviving Uchiha boy was well attended. Decorations were plentiful, and a quiet, respectful atmosphere set the tone for several passionate speeches and brief performances. Wreaths of lotuses were strung up. Lanterns were cast, lighting up the cloudy sky. Not a single detail was out of place. The Hokage had declared this moment of paramount importance, going as far as to order all non-essential missions postponed and mandate full attendance by all in the village. He’d even beefed up security to ensure nothing went wrong. Sasuke deserved that much.

Minato didn’t care about the bill he knew these expenses would incur down the line. He would find a way for The Leaf’s budget to absorb the cost.

There were far too many deceased to procure all of the shrine space necessary, so he found a workaround and instructed the funeral organizers to set up a large platform at the forefront of the plot he selected for a mass burial. That way, everyone could pay respects as if they were doing so for the whole Uchiha Clan.

The cemetery grounds were a sea of black, with an occasional sprinkle of muted grays and greens. Muddy footprints in the soil, still damp from a recent downpour, trailed on as far as Minato could see. The sky opened up to blanket the area in rain, as if mourning along with The Leaf for its fallen citizens.

Hundreds of attendees flowed by in a steady stream - some with solemn expressions, some crying their eyes out. No matter their emotional stability, they all seemed to feel the overwhelming weight of the tragedy. Hiruzen reached the front of the procession and left a flower on the ceremonial dais among countless others, then stepped aside so his successor could have a turn. Minato approached next, Kushina clinging to him in silence.

Her grip was firm. Full of raw emotion she somehow managed to hold in. He let her follow him to the dais, even though that wasn’t customary, and they placed their flowers down next to one another. When it was done, Minato started to lead his wife back to their place in the crowd, but paused.

He spotted the dark-haired boy at the front of the crowd whose hardened gaze hadn’t strayed from the wet grass beneath him. Against his inner objections, Minato strided forward, crouching to Sasuke’s eye level, and gave him a slight smile. Kushina said nothing and hung back.

“Hello, Sasuke,” he said with as much cheer as he thought appropriate, given the circumstances.

The boy looked up, his expression vacant. “Hello, Lord Fourth.”

“I wanted to personally speak with you about what’s happened. You’ve been through a lot, and I want you to know I am here for you. Alright?”

Sasuke didn’t answer, and returned to staring at the ground.

“I’m sorry. I know this is a lot to handle all at once. There are so many people.” Minato looked around at the rows of attendees and struggled to find words for this crucial moment. He felt Kushina’s eyes on him, and begged for even an ounce of her strength as he did his best to...to…

In all honesty, he wasn’t sure _what_ he was trying to do here.

Taking a chance anyway, Minato continued. “Sasuke, I’m very sorry that all of this happened. I truly am.”

Emotionless and monotone, Sasuke asked, “Where will I live now?”

Minato’s heart broke, but he tried to sound upbeat for the boy’s sake.

“You’ll be getting a new apartment of your own here in the village. Don’t worry about paying for it, because that’s all taken care of already! If you need someone to talk to, or need anything else, just come straight to my office, ask for me, and I’ll drop everything.”

There was no response.

“Sasuke,” Minato said with a sigh, “this is all my fault. I’m the Hokage, and I should have been there to save everyone.”

Something changed. The boy straightened up and looked into Minato’s eyes with an expression that he knew well. He saw it in the faces of the many children he encountered from war-torn villages. He hated seeing it, too, because he knew what it meant better than anyone. It was a look often seen in people two or three dozen years older than Sasuke as well. One that spoke of dark intentions. One that screamed of its bearer having nothing to lose. A dangerous thing to see in a child.

“You’re wrong. It isn’t _your_ fault,” Sasuke seethed, the familiar cold stare on his face. His eyes were soulless and unfocused. In that moment, it was as if, even without a Sharingan, he saw through Minato like a pane of glass.

Ignoring the chill running down his spine, Minato decided not to press the matter and returned with Kushina to their designated spot among the mourners. He would dedicate time to help deal with the boy’s trauma, but right now, as head of his village, he needed to lay the slain to rest.

* * *

  
  


The funeral was over, and Minato called for a day of rest prior to the service. Odds were that no one would be in the best of moods anyway, so he figured getting ahead of it made sense. Apart from the essentials, such as urgent missions, care for the wounded, and high priority deliveries, most business functions were shut down.

One such urgent mission involved Minato ordering Genma, Iwashi, and Raido to escort Danzo to a meeting with the Interrogation Unit, where he would be questioned - using whatever methods necessary - by a squad comprised of Inoichi, Ibiki, and one trusted subordinate each. It was a relief to know that very soon, the mysteries surrounding that night would come to light.

Silence reigned for several blocks around Minato and Kushina’s home. Even where that wasn’t the case, sounds were few and far between. In his bedroom, Minato pounded a fist against the floor and fought back tears as he reflected on his greatest shame. The sight of all of those dead bodies, everyone he should have been there to save, butchered in a senseless act of violence. Political unrest or not, the Uchiha victims were Leaf citizens. They were a part of his home. He’d lost family every bit as much as Sasuke had, and worst of all, he had no answer for why he did nothing to stop this.

Kushina was in another room speaking with Naruto about what happened, and stressing the importance of being respectful and kind toward Sasuke at school because he’d suffered a terrible loss. Her soothing voice was a dull echo drowned out by a combination of the walls and Minato’s overwhelming whirlwind of regret and negative thoughts. He took a moment to concentrate on controlling his breathing, but at the sudden detection of a certain chakra signature, he froze.

“Lord Fourth,” Itachi Uchiha said from the other end of the room.

Minato’s eyes widened in shock. He spun to face Itachi, but the room around him was gone. In the next instant, he found himself suspended in midair. Everywhere he looked, an expanse of red oblivion greeted him. He called out into the nothingness and received no response. Black feathers floated into view, obscuring his sight. Then he heard the unmistakable caw of a crow.


	6. Echoes

Itachi stared down at Minato from above, suspended in a blood-red sky by a murder of crows. Granted, there was no clear distinction between earth and sky in this dimension. The crows surrounded Itachi, but also seemed to be a _ part _ of him. In truth, it was difficult to tell where man ended and bird began. Flesh blended into black feathers like the brushstrokes of a masterful painting. His form had no defined shape. It was as though he were an apparition.

The Fourth Hokage knew better, though: this was Sharingan genjutsu.

“The service you held was quite magnificent,” the boy said. “Thank you.” Although Itachi spoke in a level tone, his voice was somehow loud and resonant.

“Itachi,” Minato said, staring up at the distorted figure, “I never expected you to show your face in The Leaf at a time like this.”

This genjutsu wasn’t the hardest to break out of, but it would be troublesome to expend the necessary amount of chakra. Minato had to commend his visitor for thinking ahead: he had come up with a plan that would lower the chances of his discovery in the real world.

Itachi floated nearer to his former leader. His approach was met with a noticeable flinch. He descended to eye level and regarded Minato with visible confusion. The crows separated from Itachi, leaving behind a faded imitation of his real body.

“What are you doing here?” Minato demanded.

He resisted the urge to reach for a kunai. It wasn’t that he wanted a fight. The survival response was just ingrained after so many years. Not that there was a point - physical attacks wouldn’t have any effect here.

Itachi’s eyes flitted to Minato’s waist, registering his twitchy fingers. “I haven’t come to fight you, Lord Fourth. I’d never attempt something so foolish.”

“Then what’s this all about?”

“I need to speak with you regarding the incident. Being back in the village is dangerous for me, so I’d rather make this quick. Bringing you into my genjutsu was my safest option. Time moves slower here.”

Minato nodded. He needed answers, and like it or not, Itachi Uchiha may well have been the sole person on the planet who was able and willing to give them to him.

“Okay, I’m listening.”

* * *

“So, you’ve lost all memory of our discussion?” Itachi’s eyes widened with genuine intrigue.

Minato nodded, hanging his head. “Yeah. Well, not  _ lost _ per se. My memories have been tampered with. If what you’re telling me is true, then I was right to order Genma, Iwashi and Raido to take Danzo in for interrogation. He should be arriving there right about now.”

“Good.” Itachi let out a thoughtful hum. “I didn’t realize your special kunai had been replaced with a fake until it was time for... _ that _ task. Danzo must have done it when I changed out of my gear.”

“Danzo….” Minato clenched his fists. “Itachi, how do I know I can really trust your story? What I remember about that rendezvous is very different from what you’ve told me.”

Itachi held out a hand as if in invitation. “Very well. Let me show you.”

His body exploded into dozens of crows. The birds dispersed, and falling feathers blotted out Minato’s vision. He swept them aside, surprised to find he was back in the Uchiha District. Itachi was nowhere in sight.

“Hello?”

Minato ran through the streets, calling out for Itachi, or anyone at all. He stopped when he saw the boy standing at the edge of the path connecting the Uchiha Compound to the rest of The Leaf. Itachi was in his ANBU gear. Then the scene transitioned to another location. Itachi flickered into view in a clearing, then hid behind a tree. Minato watched a past version of himself dash onto the grass and skid to an abrupt halt. Somewhere in the distance, water splashed against rocks. Itachi stepped out from behind his hiding spot, and the two ninja began their talk.

_ I remember this, but wait...something’s different here. _

Gulping back his trepidation, Minato waited to see what else Itachi had to show him. When this was all over, either everything would make sense or nothing would.

* * *

  
  


The Fourth Hokage panted, falling to his knees in his bedroom. He looked up to find Itachi leaning casually against a wall.

“Did that satisfy you?” Itachi said. “If not, then I won’t resist you having me imprisoned.” The boy’s appearance supported this claim - his eyes had reverted to normal. They were now blacker than the hair that stopped at his neck. 

Minato took a moment to rest, letting his visitor sit with the silence. Then he stood, looking Itachi in the eyes without hesitation. He tapped into the pool of chakra he’d been storing in secret. Raw power coursed through him as he went into Sage Mode.

He directed his enhanced sensory capabilities at the exiled teen. Pleased with his findings, Minato dispelled his sage chakra. He was careful not to speak above a whisper while giving Itachi his answer.

“I’m not going to detain you, Itachi. Of course I had my doubts about the visions you showed me, but the fact that you’re willing to present yourself to me as your true self instead of a clone, and deactivate your Sharingan, is proof enough.”

“Thank you,” Itachi said, bowing in deference. “I’ll remember your mercy, Lord Hokage.”

The simple gesture took Minato by surprise. Even after everything that had happened, the boy still saw himself as a proud Leaf subordinate?

“I guess this means you’ll have to live as a rogue ninja,” Minato said, biting his lip. “Itachi, I know it doesn’t mean much now, but I want you to know how sorry I am. I should have been there. I  _ tried _ to be there, but Danzo stopped me. Now your life is ruined.”

“We can only try our best to do what we can for the village,” Itachi said. “You and I are human, so we’re guilty of mistakes. Even so, we’re still alive, so we can do something with the time we have left.”

It was remarkable. The child’s wisdom far outstripped that of some Jonin many years his senior.

“You’re right.” Minato adopted a wistful smile. That’s why I want to give you something.”

Itachi raised his head with an expectant stare.

Minato prepared the Flying Thunder God seal, then held up his palm. “One of my seals. If you have my mark on you, we can still stay in touch. It’s probably best not to hold onto one of my kunai after what happened with Danzo.”

“Understood.”

“We’ll need to hide it somewhere no one will look.”

An awkward few seconds went by as Itachi fidgeted, considering where to have the mark placed. Finally, he bent forward and parted some of his hair, revealing a section of his scalp behind the rows of dark follicles.

“Here, please. No one will see it if I keep the mark here.”

Minato creased his lips into a thoughtful frown. “Smart.”

He decided not to waste time, and extended a hand toward the suggested spot.

Once the mark was applied, Itachi said, “I have but one request, if you’ll allow me that. I know I don’t deserve to ask such things-”

“Anything, Itachi. What is it?”

Itachi’s expression softened for the first time in Minato’s recent memory. He knelt again, shaking with emotion as he whispered, “Please watch over Sasuke.”

“I’ll do everything in my power.”

The boy erupted into a cloud of smoke. Echoes of footsteps reached Minato’s ears from beyond the door. He blinked and turned to Kushina as she stepped into the room.

“Minato,” she said, “is one of your guards here? I thought I heard a voice, and I felt you entering Sage Mode. Is everything alright?”

Although it pained him to do so, Minato smiled and told her there was nothing to worry about. At least for now, he thought it best not to endanger her with the news Itachi brought him. Deep down, he was convinced this moment would stain his pride forever. He had never lied to Kushina in the entirety of their marriage.

* * *

“What do you mean he escaped?” Minato balked, staring across his office desk at a contrite Genma.

Although Danzo was a veteran ninja who served under The Second Hokage, this feat was shocking even for him. After all, Minato made sure to have a sealing specialist seal off his chakra before he was escorted. Making matters worse, if what Itachi shared was true, then this news spelled grave danger for The Leaf.

“What happened?”

“I-I don’t know how to describe it, sir,” Genma stammered, still chewing the signature senbon that always hung from his lips. His shoulder-length brown hair drooped in a way that mimicked his shame. “Even at his age, Danzo was just so fast. Before we knew it, he’d grabbed the keys to his cuffs and slipped out of our grasp.”

“He may have set some kind of escape plan up beforehand,” Minato said under his breath. He glared at the papers in front of him. “He must’ve known I was onto him.”

The report stated Danzo Shimura had broken out of the custody of the shinobi squad assigned to escort him to an aggressive interrogation session, then fled The Leaf. He couldn’t have gone far yet, so Iwashi and Raido gave chase and were in the process of tracking him down on Genma’s orders.

“Lord Hokage,” Genma said, “what do you want me to do?”

Holding up a finger, Minato took a moment to think. Itachi’s message had been quite clear: not only had his genjutsu laid out what happened during their rendezvous, but it also revealed the truth about another matter. One with far greater implications. But he couldn’t afford to show fear right now. If he did, that would only cause a wave of panic to ripple throughout the chain of command, and the Uchiha Massacre had done more than enough damage in that department already.

“Genma, you handled this well. Don’t blame yourself. Something tells me Danzo would’ve found a way out of this no matter what I threw at him. I’m concerned about what he plans to do. He’s an Elder, and the knowledge he possesses about the village could easily topple us in no time.”

Minato walked around the desk and paced the room. Then an idea hit him.

“Alright. I’m going to discuss this incident with The Third in private. In the meantime, Genma, select a team to back up Iwashi and Raido. I ask that you include Kakashi. His ninja hounds will be invaluable in picking up Danzo’s trail. Come find me when you’re ready, and I’ll teleport you.”

“Yes, sir!”

Minato’s right hand man bowed and marched out of the office, full of purpose. Genma had his mission. Now The Hokage had one of his own to carry out.

* * *

Minato came home early in the afternoon, slipped off his shoes, and searched the house for Kushina. He found her stepping out of the shower. She was wrapped in a towel with her damp red hair resting across one shoulder. She looked up in surprise.

“Minato!  _ You’re _ home early today.”

“Yeah,” Minato said, pausing to accept a quick kiss. “I’ve got a lot to fill you in on, but I’ll let you get dressed first.”

“I’ll be just a minute, ya know!” she said with a smile, hurrying into the bedroom.

Later, they sat across from each other at the dinner table, going over all that he’d had to deal with that day. Kushina rested her chin on one palm, sighing as she took it all in.

“So The Third agreed?”

“Yeah. After we talked things over, I went back to the office and sent a message to Master Jiraiya. I decided to pull him off of his Madara tracking task. Right now, Danzo’s our most immediate priority.”

“I agree,” Kushina said. “I knew something serious must have happened when Lord Hiruzen left in the middle of our barrier fortification exercise. Ever since we drafted the plans, he’s been so dedicated to working with me on it.”

“Yeah.” Minato huffed. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s no problem, ya know. We got it all done for the day. I was able to teach a group of Chunin and Jonin some improved formulas!”

“That’s great news!”

Minato smiled. His wife was practically glowing, full of pride about her ability to still prove useful to the village. Things may have been spiraling out of control over the past several hours, but at least one of them had a positive, productive day despite it all.

Kushina’s happiness gave way to a solemn frown.

“Oh, and there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. It’s probably best we have this chat before Naruto comes home. At that point we’ll be too busy to give it any real thought.”

Minato leaned in, eyes wide with concern. “Of course. Go ahead.”

She scooted back into her chair, breaking eye contact. “It’s...it’s about Mikoto. Well, not really. More about Sasuke.”

This was quite the surprise. Just like that, thoughts of his guilt surrounding the Uchiha Massacre were dredged up by her words. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Minato gave Kushina his undivided attention.

* * *

Words tumbled out of her one after the other. It was clear that Kushina was trying to hurry and get it all out, lest she forget what she needed to say.

“Anyway, she’s always been such a good friend to me, ever since we met in the academy. Even when tensions were strained between The Leaf and the Uchiha in recent years, she was always so kind. I feel like I owe it to her to do more in her memory. You know what I mean, right?”

While Minato wasn’t certain where this was going, he was dying to find out. He nodded and waited with bated breath. His wife’s lips parted in what felt like slow motion to deliver the message at the heart of this discussion.

* * *

Kushina took slow, measured steps through the Leaf Village Hospital, checking the numbers above the doors of each room she passed. The place smelled of alcohol and sickness. Ornate wall decorations were affixed at regular intervals in a poor attempt to distract visitors from the grim prospects many patients here faced. Once, Kushina had been one of the unlucky few toeing the line between life and death. If not for Tsunade’s last minute intervention, she would have joined the hundreds of patients this hospital failed to save - or even provide enough beds for prior to their deaths - following The Nine Tails’ attack. Recalling those dark times, she trudged on, her palms dampening with sweat. Coming back here was far from an ideal situation, but Kushina’s current goal was worth the torture.

She did her best to stay out of the way of anyone who looked busy, exchanging polite hellos with those she knew. Much to her disappointment, no one stopped to talk. In fact, she got the feeling everyone was staying out of her way on purpose. Kushina had to admit, being the Hokage’s wife had it perks. She would have been grateful, if not for the fact that there was nothing to distract herself from the cloying scent of the dead, the dying, and the unwell.

Kushina’s knees threatened to give at any moment. She couldn’t stop now, though. Not so close. She wove her way through the streams of staff and patients until she found the room she sought. A door near the end of the hall was open a half-inch. Sliding her hand through the doorway, she eased it open an inch more and peeked through.

Fighting back her anxiety, she called out, “Hello?”

A female voice responded. “Ah! Good afternoon, Miss Kushina. You may enter.”

Kushina took another breath, steeled her resolve, and pulled the door open. When she stepped through, the first thing she saw was the colorless expression on the face of a young boy. Sasuke Uchiha sat upright in his hospital bed. A nurse was placing flowers in a vase on the table next to him. She stepped aside, letting Kushina approach.

“Oh!” Kushina said, throwing up her hands, “no, please don’t mind me. You can stay.”

“It’s alright. I was just leaving, ma’am!” the woman explained, flashing a nervous smile. She skittered toward the exit.

Kushina‘s shoulders sank as she watched the woman disappear into the hallway at record speed, in much the same manner as those she waved at a few moments ago. Wiping the frown from her face, she turned back to Sasuke. Compared to his predicament, hers were trifling concerns.

“Hello, Sasuke. Do you know who I am?”

“You’re Kushina Uzumaki, the Fourth Hokage’s wife,” his small voice said. He stared at her with eyes that looked dead apart from a faint glimmer of curiosity. “You were with him at the funeral.”

His visible suffering tugged at her heartstrings. Kushina made her way to the side of the bed and sat at the edge, smiling down at the poor boy. She did all she could to keep from crying while she spoke.

“That’s right. There’s more, though. I was a friend of your mom’s. Did you know that?”

He shook his head, looking up at her with a blank stare.

She nodded. “Mikoto and I were both very happy to be new mothers. I talked to her just after you were born. You were so cute, ya know!” Kushina poked his nose, managing to get a weak laugh out of him. She was pleased to see that at least some of his innocence remained.

Hesitating at first, she took his tiny, pudgy hand in hers. It was warm and clammy with nervous sweat. A visit from the Hokage’s wife in the flesh must have been like a dream for someone so young. Kushina placed her free hand on top of his, reaching inside herself for the courage to do what she’d set out to in the first place.

“Sasuke,” she said, “about what happened in the Uchiha District...”

His expression darkened. Sasuke slipped his hand out of her grasp and buried his face into his bed covers. She’d taken the conversation where neither of them wanted it to go, but there was no other choice.

“I’m  _ so _ sorry,” Kushina stressed, rubbing the boy’s back. She shuddered every time his little body heaved. “I know how much it hurts. When I was a child, I lost my clan too.”

His crying quieted to a sniffle. Loosening his grip on the covers, he looked up at her in wordless wonder. Kushina forced her bitter memories to the surface. She needed to be genuine with him. Given everything the boy had endured, he deserved that much.

“That’s right,” she confirmed. “I came home one evening from the academy, and my clan had been taken by surprise in an attack. Many lives were lost, and I was captured, but The Fourth saved me. He’s really strong, ya know!” Kushina flexed a bicep, flashing a smile. Sasuke continued to stare in awe. She sighed, hoping she was getting through to him. “Sasuke, a wise woman from my clan once told me, when I didn’t know what to do and my life was changing in ways I had no say in, that there was one way to make it through.”

“How?” the boy asked in a quavering voice.

“Love. You have to fill your heart with love.” She gave him a warm smile, putting a hand to her chest.

Sasuke looked down at his bed, mulling over her statement to whatever extent his young mind could understand it. Kushina decided now was as good a time as any to say what she came here to say.

“I want to ask you something. Something important.”

He blinked away tears. “What is it?”

“Would you like to come live with me and my family?”

Sasuke froze. Kushina did too. Seconds passed as though they were hours. Had she posed the question too soon? She’d figured it was best to just get right to the point, but perhaps-

“Are you sure?” he asked, lip poked out. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

Somehow, Kushina’s heart managed to shatter into even smaller pieces.

“No, please don’t say that!” she blurted out.

Her maternal instincts kicked in and, before she knew it, she found herself hugging Sasuke’s head against her chest in an embrace that, if his stifled grunting was any indication, was far too tight. She loosened her grip. “Oh, sorry! I just really don’t want you to feel bad about accepting my offer. I’ve already discussed this with Minato. We’d both be so very happy to have you become a part of our family!” Kushina smiled, withdrawing from the hug so the boy could think his response over. “I mean, if that’s what you want.”

Sasuke gave her a pensive stare, his silence filling her with anxiety. “The Fourth...agreed?” he asked for clarification.

She nodded, giddy and terrified at the same time. “Mmhmm!”

Another moment of indecision later, Sasuke managed to crack the slightest hint of a smile, streams of tears still drying on his face. “Okay…” he nodded to himself, as if to affirm his decision. “Thank you, Miss Kushina.”

* * *

A week had passed since Sasuke moved into The Hokage’s household. Just as Minato predicted in his initial discussion with Kushina, The Leaf Village Council, and the general public, hadn’t taken well to their idea. The formal request to adopt Sasuke Uchiha became one of much debate for the following couple of weeks.

Hiruzen, in particular, seemed to feel for the lone survivor of the massacre, but could not support Minato and Kushina’s decision. In a private chat with Minato, he stated that although he recognized how intervening in Sasuke’s life in this way might help keep him from straying down a darker path, the political optics were “unfavorable.”

It was during this chat that Minato stood behind his desk, lips pursed in thought, taking in all that his predecessor had to say. He’d thought back to that day when he and Kushina were almost taken from Naruto, who would have ended up in the same circumstance as Sasuke. Deep down, he already knew his answer. There was no way he could abandon Sasuke. Hiruzen’s suggestion of stopping by every so often to check on him wouldn’t suffice. How in the world could he be expected to condemn this child to solitude? An occasional visitor wouldn’t do.

Sasuke needed more.

He needed something to replace the hole in his life. The indelible image of a broken and pleading Itachi, however fleeting it might have been, remained at the forefront of Minato’s memory.

“Surely you must understand how this will look, Minato,” The Third continued. Minato tuned back in halfway through his explanation, his mind racing, until he at last settled on a staunch refusal of the advice.

“I do, Third,” Minato said, “but even so, I’ll be making the preparations as soon as possible.”

Hiruzen sighed and covered his face with his hands. Minato continued.

“I understand that the Uchiha are not the brightest spot in The Leaf’s history. I realize that my and Kushina’s adoption of Sasuke could raise red flags with other villages, as well as here at home. They may think that this was a power play orchestrated to groom a young Uchiha with weaker ties to his brethren, whom I could then mold into a loyal military asset for the village’s benefit. Knowing all of this, I still don’t care. I won’t become the kind of Hokage who turns his back on  _ any _ of his people. Sasuke is one of our own, so I’ll do what I can for him.”

Hiruzen nodded, a grim frown on his face. “You’re absolutely certain about this?”

“I am.”

Minato held The Third Hokage’s gaze for several uncomfortable seconds. Seeing that he did not waver, Hiruzen gave him a dismissive gesture. “Very well. If your mind’s made up, then I will support you in this.”

The Leaf Elder turned and started toward the door.

“Thank you, Lord Third,” Minato said. He rested against his desk, examining the paperwork awaiting his signature. “Trust me, I’ll make this work.”

“If anyone can, it’s most certainly you,” Hiruzen said before exiting the room.

In the days following their exchange, Minato fought to make the adoption happen, every bit as much for himself as for Kushina. His wife wanted to repay a debt to her friend. It was a noble move on her part, and he had a debt of his own to repay to Itachi. He’d failed the young man once already. Maybe this way, he could fulfill his promise to watch over Sasuke, albeit in a more direct way than intended.

The hunt for Danzo had run cold, as expected. He was last detected near a hot spring close to the border of The Land of Fire and The Village Hidden in The Grass. Kakashi and his dogs had lost Danzo’s scent, but they suspected he’d traveled in the direction of Tenchi Bridge. The reason why he would have taken such a route was unknown, but Minato instructed two ANBU to continue searching for him around there. Maybe something would turn up.

Light from the setting sun filtered through the window as Minato and his family sat down to dinner. Sasuke awkwardly settled into his seat across from Naruto. The Hokage’s son observed him with an uncertain gaze. Averting his eyes at first, Sasuke soon drummed up the courage to look up again and smile.

Minato eyed the new addition to the family across the table. It seemed Sasuke and Naruto were having trouble getting used to going from being classmates to legal siblings. Understandable, but it worried him. He hoped they would be able to warm up to each other, or at least remain civil.

“Well,” Kushina said, snapping him out of his thoughts, “shall we dig in?” Her smile washed away all of his lingering worries, and he reached to pick up his pair of chopsticks.

When dinner was over, Kushina and Naruto took everyone’s dishes to the kitchen. Earlier that evening, Minato had asked his wife to allow him time alone with Sasuke to try to bond with him. Of course, she’d obliged without question. That much had been simple.  _ This _ was the most difficult part.

“Sasuke,” Minato called out, his voice faltering, “come out here with me for a minute.” The boy stopped on the way to his and Naruto’s bedroom and turned to Minato with a stolid expression.

They sat on the step outside. The spacious backyard was overlooked by a night sky littered with shimmering stars. Minato dropped his hands to his knees and looked down at Sasuke, who sat in a withdrawn pose beside him. It was now or never.

“So, what’s this about?” Sasuke asked in a small voice.

His eyes searched Minato’s face. It was like he was looking for some hint of dishonesty or ill intent. Much like at the funeral, Minato couldn’t help but be reminded of the many young ninja in the war whose innocent smiles gave way to similar expressions - right up until they either became efficient killing machines or died on the battlefield.

“Don’t worry,” Minato said, smiling up at the sky, “I just wanted to sit with you and talk. We’re family now, after all. I would’ve done this earlier, but I thought it would be better to give you space while you settled in.”

“O-okay.” Sasuke continued to stare with suspicion.

“I won’t treat you like a child, Sasuke. After what you’ve gone through, I don’t think that’s fair to you.” He looked down at the boy again, doing his best to appear non-threatening and open. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to, and I’m not asking you to pretend your old life never happened. What I will do is believe in you. I promise that on my title as Hokage.”

Sasuke stared open-mouthed.

“If you decide that after all this, you’d rather leave the ninja academy, I can make that happen for you. If you’d like to continue, that’s fine too. Like I said before, you can always talk to me about anything. Even more so now that you’re my charge.”

Sasuke looked toward the dew-swept grass, his lip poked out in sadness. “Your  _ charge _ ?”

“Huh? What is it?” Minato patted the boy on the back, craning his neck so that they were at eye level. “I didn’t mean anything bad by that, I swear.”

“I told Lady Kushina at the hospital that I didn’t want to be a bother,” Sasuke mumbled. “I’m just extra responsibility for you.”

“What? Sasuke, don’t think-”

“Naruto doesn’t even want me here, and he’s right not to. I don’t really belong.” Sasuke curled his knees up against his chest.

“Did Naruto say that to you?” Minato asked, a firmness in his voice now. “If he did, I’ll talk to him.”

“No, but...he didn’t have to. He’s nice to me, but I can tell by the way he looks at me when he doesn’t think I’m watching that he pities me. Just like everyone else at school does. Just like…” Sasuke gritted his teeth and glared at nothing. The same vacant stare he’d had at the funeral returned. His body may have been here, but his mind was somewhere else. Minato had a feeling he knew where.

“Listen, Sasuke.” Minato waited for the boy to look at him. “Naruto’s not used to having a brother. You’ll have to understand that and give him time. He’s a kind child. He’ll come to accept you, just like Kushina and I have.”

Sasuke didn’t appear convinced, but he nodded and returned to staring into the distance.

Minato decided to break the silence. “No one can hurt you here. Whatever happened to you won’t happen again.”

This seemed to set Sasuke off. He grunted and stood up. “Of course not. I don’t have a second family to slaughter!”

“Hold on,” Minato said, raising a hand, “that isn’t what I-”

“I never asked for any of this, you know? I accepted that I was just going to be alone.”

“Sasuke-”

“I know the village doesn’t want me around. Neither did my father, and neither does anyone here.”

Sasuke withdrew into himself, shaking with emotion.

“If I didn’t want you here, I wouldn’t have allowed my wife to adopt you,” Minato said matter-of-factly, “and I certainly wouldn’t have fought through legal proceedings to make it happen. Sasuke, you’re not to blame for any issues with The Uchiha. You’re your own person, and someone who has been through a terrible loss.”

He watched the boy take in his words, the anger fading from his eyes. Settling back into his seat with a catatonic expression, Sasuke whispered, “Do you know what he told me?”

“Who?” Minato asked. He knew the answer before it was uttered.

“Itachi,” Sasuke forced out, quaking as he said the name. “He told me all of this was just to test the extent of his own abilities. I tried to get away, but he found me. I thought I was gonna die just like everyone else, but he called me weak. He said I wasn’t even worth killing yet, and that I had the potential to unlock the Mangekyou Sharingan just like him.”

Minato bit back his urge to interrupt, knowing this was a rare opportunity to get Sasuke to open up that might never happen again if he cut it off. Listening to this was difficult, given that Minato understood far more about the situation than Sasuke knew. Itachi had confided in him, and what Minato learned didn’t track with what the youngest of Fugaku’s boys was relaying now. There was no reason for the child to lie, which left a lingering question. Why had Itachi chosen to deceive his younger brother? If Minato’s knowledge of the legacy of the Uchiha were anything to go by, then he had a pretty good guess.

“I was so scared, so angry. I was helpless. He told me if I wished to kill him for what he’d done, I should hate him, run, and cling to my wretched life.”

The Hokage’s gut twisted into a knot hearing the horrible things Itachi had said. All of this for the purpose of putting on a facade of insanity? What a terrible fate for either of the brothers to endure.

Sasuke swallowed hard. “He said ‘One day, when you have the same eyes as I do now, come before me.’ And he told me that the way he got his Mangekyou...was by killing his best friend, Shisui.”

Minato’s mouth went dry. Everything in him screamed to say something,  _ anything _ , to counter Sasuke’s belief. But should he? It was hard to say. Sasuke knowing what really happened to Shisui, or about anything related to Itachi’s secrets, could put him in greater danger in the future. However, it might also ease his current pain. Which was more important?

Shisui The Teleporter’s death was reported not long before The Uchiha Massacre, when Itachi was still coordinating a plan with Minato. While the official story painted Itachi as a prime suspect in the case, the genjutsu trip The Hokage went on after the funeral shed new light on things. He had watched as Shisui entrusted the future of The Leaf, and his one remaining eye’s power, to Itachi. Shisui also named Danzo as the one responsible for stealing the missing eye, which provided the perfect explanation for why Minato lost his memory. It must have been the work of the deceased teen’s famed jutsu, the Kotoamatsukami.

“I’m sorry you went through all of that,” Minato said, patting Sasuke on the back again. “But I can at least tell you this much. Danzo Shimura is the one responsible for what happened to Shisui.”

The buzzing and chattering of wildlife seemed to intensify in the stillness that followed as Sasuke processed his words. “Wait, what did you just say?”

“You heard me right. Whatever Itachi may have told you about Shisui’s passing, it was a lie. The village’s findings indicate Danzo is to blame.”

It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was something.

Sasuke stared into Minato’s eyes, waiting for something unspoken. Then he gulped and broke eye contact. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

Minato nodded. “I am.”

“Is that why he fled the village today?”

Looking up at the sky, Minato shrugged. “Well, among other things.” He let the silence linger between them for a moment more. “I just want you to know that whatever your brother’s done or said to you doesn’t have to define you. You can set your own course in life. Your parents wouldn’t have wanted the kind of life he described for you.”

He paused when he noticed Sasuke shivering next to him. Minato reached out to comfort him, but he slung an arm backward, knocking the gesture aside. “How would you know what they wanted?” Tears came to Sasuke’s eyes. “How am I supposed to just forget all that?! He killed everyone - butchered them with his Mangekyou. He showed it to me in a genjutsu. I can’t just forsake my family and not avenge them, can I?”

Minato sighed. “I don’t have all the answers you seek, but I know one thing. You wouldn’t be forsaking them by not going down such a dark path. You would be honoring their memory. Your father and I didn’t always see eye to eye, but he had a noble presence, and upheld the honor of his clan in a way I always respected.”

Sasuke quieted down again. Tears cascaded past his quivering lips. While Minato observed the boy, an epiphany struck him. There was a solution that might help Sasuke move past his trauma, even without him knowing the truths Itachi shared.

“Like I said before, if you still want to be a ninja, then I’ll support you in that. My wife and I both will. Same goes for Naruto and whatever choices he makes. You’re our son now, but you’re free to make your own decisions. One thing I  _ will _ do as Hokage, though, is enroll you in private therapy sessions. There are some things going on in your head that are beyond my power to help with. Things only trained professionals can handle. Of course, you’re free to stop those sessions of your own free will as well, but I hope you won’t.”

Taking a moment to breathe, Minato leaned back with his palms pressed against the deck and looked up at the star-speckled sky. “I can help you become strong, but I’d suggest you think about whether it’s really worth using that strength for evil intentions. Personally, I believe it would be exactly like what happened to your clan. And that helps no one.”

Sasuke nodded, seeming to take in the advice, however minimally, which brought his foster father some level of comfort.

“Alright then!” Minato announced with a happier tone, bounding up onto his feet. “I’m going to go back inside. If you don’t want to come with me just yet, lock the door when you come in.” Pausing before leaving, he added, “I hope you’ll think this over, Sasuke, and again, I’m sorry.”

Given the volume of information he was still keeping from the boy, Minato couldn’t help but feel his apology was hollow. There was nothing more he could do for Sasuke right now, so he left him alone with his thoughts.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my friends and betas who have helped me with refining this work before presenting it to the world!


End file.
